


The Scent Of You

by ashensprites



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9540620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashensprites/pseuds/ashensprites
Summary: Seungwan, a private investigator, is hired to find a child who went missing almost 15 years ago.





	1. Chapter One

 

_Perfume today has lost its soul.  
_ _It is far too mass and too marketed, lacking in personality._

_-Michael Burke, Chairman & CEO (Louis Vuitton)_

 

 

The scent of coffee fills a windowless room, whorls of steam rising from a white mug of china. A milky flower blooms on the surface. The room is as dark as the starless night sky, the only hint of light leaking out from the crack in the doorway.

 

To the little girl waking up in this room, this is her own personal Hell.

 

The fragrance of ground coffee beans carried on molecules of air enter her nose, her mouth, her lungs. It suffocates her, like a powerful hand that chokes her in a vice-grip. She claws and claws at her throat, leaving red trails of histamine-tinged skin down her neck, but the bittersweet stench is stuck in her windpipe like superglue.

 

“Good morning, sweetheart,” a tall man with a musical baritone voice calls out as he casually leans on the door, although the frantic girl inside is too occupied trying to breathe to answer. Ignoring her desperate coughs, he inhales the scent of coffee and hums appreciatively, sipping at the hot liquid in the cup, and waits until the child’s laboured wheezes subside. 

 

“Your mother’s here to visit you today.”

 

_Mother._

 

At the word, the child scrambles back, huddling in the furthest corner of her room. The clicking of heels against the floor announces the arrival of the woman she only knows as Mother, and the girl shrinks into a ball, trembling hands covering her nose and mouth.

 

As the silhouette of the woman approaches, her cloying perfume reaches out to fill the entire room. The woman lifts the child’s head with a manicured claw to her chin. Tendrils of evaporated cade oil snake up her finger and seep through the gaps between the child’s fingers, entering her nostrils and mouth, leaving the heavy taste of smoky earth on her tongue.

 

When she starts to gag and choke, the two adults in the room do not even bat an eyelash. The woman strides back towards the man still standing in the shadows. Both of them, grey figures in a black room, watch as the child rolls over and vomits bile, empty stomach not allowing for anything else.

 

“Another day, another failed specimen,” the woman drawls, raising her wrist to sniff at. “And here I thought it smelled pretty good. What do you think, darling?”

 

“Honey,” the man growls seductively at her, tugging her close and nibbling at her neck, “you always do.” They shift out of the room, the woman giggling as her partner’s hands roam around her body, oblivious to the child who now lies prone on the ground in her own sick puddle, chest heaving up and down exhaustedly, long black hair stuck to her face by a mixture of puke and sweat.

 

This is not the first time; she also knows it will not be the last.

 

*

 

Seungwan has had her fair share of odd first days, but this one takes the cake. She looks around, taking in her surroundings — the superfluous greetings of employees, the hollers of customers as they drain each other out with their constant requests, the miasma that resulted from an overwhelming mix of perfumes and colognes — and attempts to calm herself down before meeting her boss.

 

It wasn’t everyday that the CEO of a multinational corporation hired you, after all.

 

Cue the entrance of the most apathetic woman Seungwan has ever met. Her features contort into odd expressions as she yawn, and she strides over with arms tucked into pockets at either side of her black culottes, highly reminiscent of a model on a catwalk. Next to her, the staff member that attended to Seungwan titters nervously as she escorts the woman.

 

“Right, what did you want again?” The newcomer asks, looming over Seungwan. The woman’s caramel shoulder-length hair brush against Seungwan’s own blueish ones as she leans down to make eye contact, lowering her sunglasses as she does so.

 

Why the manager is wearing sunglasses in a mall, Seungwan hasn’t the faintest, but she stands her ground and announces in a clear voice: “My name is Son Seungwan. I’m the new secretary.”

 

“Oh, really?” The tall brunette scans Seungwan from head to toe with narrowed eyes, then puts her shades back in place. “You don’t really seem like his type though. Well, whatever. Follow me.”

 

_His type?_ Seungwan laughs inwardly as she trails behind the manager; she doesn’t want to know what the woman thinks goes on between secretaries and their bosses — something erotic, probably — and she’s pretty sure that it wouldn’t happen with this CEO. _I’m not even going to be an actual secretary._

 

“So, um,” she attempts to start a conversation with her escort-cum-manager in the elevator. “You’re in charge of the whole shopping mall?” 

Silence. 

“Well, okay.” Seungwan isn’t going to take a lack of response for an answer. “How about your name. You’re not wearing a name tag, I thought all employees have to wear one.”

More silence.

“What should I address you as? My name-”

 

“Yes, yes,” the taller woman sighs, taking off her sunglasses — finally! — and hooks them on the lowest point of her white V-neck shirt, right where Seungwan is trying and failing not to stare at her cleavage. “I know, you’re Wendy, I heard you the first time. You can call me… Joy.” She flips her hair in Seungwan’s face in the most fabulous fashion the latter has ever seen.

 

“Wow, okay.” The shampoo that Joy has used leaves a light fragrant scent in the air like fresh apples and leaves, and leaves Seungwan momentarily stupefied. “You’re, like, really pretty,” she says in her moment of dumbness. Her hand gravitates back into her left pocket.

 

Joy smiles. “I know.” The elevator doors open with a ping, and she tilts her chin towards a set of large wooden doors, simple and brown, yet Seungwan can feel an intimidating force behind them. “Just go through there, you’ll meet your employer. Bye now!” Joy waves her fingers and quickly jams the close button in the lift.

 

As Seungwan turns around towards her destination, the lift doors open again. “Oh and, by the way, tell him that _Joy_ sent you up,” the tall brunette says, placing emphasis on her name, and winks before leaving.

 

Seungwan nods to herself dumbly and retracts her hand from her pocket. Clients don't need to know about her… problem, and she doubts it will interfere in whatever work she will be offered.

 

She knocks on the door, three raps on the door followed by two short taps as requested in the letter she received. 

 

“Come in.”

 

“Good morning, sir.” She enters the room past heavyset doors into a cream-walled private office. “My name is Wendy from //. You requested for our services,” she introduces herself to the man standing inside.

 

“Yes, yes, do sit down, Wendy.” He adjusts his three-piece navy suit and settles himself into a plush one-seater couch. When Seungwan sits down in a similarly comfortable chair and successfully fights away the desire to curl up and sleep, he nods in her direction.

 

“I take it that your company finds anything we ask for,” he states matter-of-factly.

 

“Certainly. As long as it’s not for an illegal reason and you agree to pay 50% of our fee up front first as a deposit.” A professional, almost falsified smile scars Seungwan’s otherwise sweet face. Her client smiles back at her, equally artificial.

 

“Of course.” The suited man brings his hands together as if praying, and rests his chin on the tips of his fingers. “I need you to help me find a girl. My daughter.”

 

“I’m sorry, sir? Did you just say your daughter?” It is often a difficult challenge to surprise Seungwan, but this time she is truly taken aback. “Most of our clients use our services for, well, more covert reasons, if you get what I mean. I would certainly suggest going to the police in this case, I’d think that they’re more suited to looking for a missing child.”

 

“Trust me, I’ve tried. They couldn’t find her.” Her client’s eyes shift apprehensively. “Which is why I have to turn to you.”

 

Seungwan hesitates, but only for a fraction of a second, and merely for dramatic effect. She knows that this man is extremely rich, and therefore can be charged an obscenely high fee. She nods, an indication that she will take the case. “Excellent. But before I delve into details… Do you mind telling me who brought you up to my office?” Mr. Park asks in a careful tone.

 

“Joy,” Seungwan says. “Why?”

 

“Joy,” the man growls her name and massages his temples. “That girl…” He straightens in his chair. “Is she the only person who knows that you’re working for me?”

 

“Yes,” she answers with a quick nod of her head. “I have told her that I am your new interning secretary. I assume that it will serve as an acceptable excuse.” 

 

Her client bares his teeth in a grin, now genuine, and slides across the table a cheque for five billion won. “I take it you require details on who you’re searching for.” Seungwan quickly slips the cheque into a pocket hidden in her jacket and agrees with another curt nod of the head.

 

Leaning back in her seat now, she links her fingers together and rests her elbows on the armrests of the chair. “I’m all ears, Chairman.”

 

*

 

A small, slim figure busies herself around her shop, dark brownish-red hair tied up in a high ponytail swishing as she walks. From a large recyclable bag she fishes out multiple articles of clothing and sorts them by size and colour into washing machines. Those that require hand-washing go into a different basket which she has already labeled with her customer’s name. Her eyes scan the buttons that blink green LED lights at her as she grabs a few packets of laundry detergent, and her skilled hands deftly make quick work of washing preparation.

 

“Can’t~ forget~ the softener,” she sings to herself, uncapping a bottle of her favourite fabric softener and breathing in its calming scent. She pours the thick liquid into its allocated slot and starts the machine.

 

“I’m here, Joohyun!” A cheerful voice calls from the door of her shop. “Is my laundry done yet?”

 

The fair-skinned woman turns around and smiles demurely. “Nearly done, Yeri! I just need to iron your school uniform.” 

 

Yeri beams and bounces past the cashier counter towards Joohyun, wrapping her in a hug and twirling around. “Thanks, mom! You’re the best.”

 

Joohyun giggles and twists around in Yeri’s arms, poking her forehead lightly with a finger. “Stop it with the mom jokes, I’m just a few years older than you.” She suddenly catches a whiff of smoke, scent of burnt tobacco heavy on the younger girl’s clothes, and starts coughing. One hand clutching at her chest, she covers her nose and mouth with her other hand as she struggles to breathe properly.

 

Yeri widens her eyes at the sudden reaction and quickly jumps away from Joohyun. The older girl stumbles onto the floor and reaches for a freshly washed shirt, hurriedly inhaling its scent as she waits for her anxiety attack to pass. “Sorry… you probably… were surprised…” Joohyun wheezes.

 

“No, I’m really sorry,” Yeri apologises. “I forgot today’s photoshoot director is a smoker.” She sniffs at her clothes and wrinkles her nose at the strong smell of cigarette smoke. If the smell was already quite pungent to her senses, how much worse would it have been for Joohyun?

 

“I think I should go back and change, then I’ll come back for my laundry, okay?” Yeri asks, squatting down so she is at eye level with Joohyun, but far away enough so the older girl will not have another attack. Joohyun nods, her hair now scraggly and sticky with sweat. She closes her eyes, taking deep, steady breaths, and wills away nightmares from long ago.

 

After about ten minutes, she shakily got up with eyes still closed, resting two hands on the counter next to her. Her eyes flew open when her fingertips made contact with another pair of hands, and she raised her gaze to meet a pair of inquisitive eyes.

 

“Are you feeling okay?” The woman before Joohyun asks, her hair tied up in a bun. “You’ve been sitting there for a while, do you need to go to the hospital?” 

 

Joohyun shakes her head, embarrassed that the stranger had seen her in this state. She smoothes down her hair and manages to stretch her lips into a welcoming smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Can I help you?”

 

“Ah, yes.” The woman lifts a gigantic bag and plops it on the counter between them. “I have an excessive amount of laundry that somehow managed to pile up, and I didn’t have enough time to wash any of them.” Her sheepish tone makes Joohyun giggle.

 

Joohyun’s customer peeks around the laundry bag, grinning at her. “Feeling better?” she asks, leaning an elbow on the counter. “That’s great!”

 

Touched at her sincerity, Joohyun’s cheeks turn a slight pink, and she grabs the bag to hide her blush. “U-um, can I have your name and phone number? I’ll call you when your laundry is done.”

 

“Sure!” The customer is still grinning at Joohyun, observing her movements as she retrieves a pen and some paper from one of the drawers under the counter. “My name’s Seungwan. What’s yours?”


	2. Chapter Two

 

_ “Once again I felt light-headed, but this time it wasn't from the scent of lilacs;  _

_ it was from the scent of my own death.” _

_ -Peter David, Sir Apropos of Nothing _

 

A young girl, no more than the age of eight, hums a light tune as she bounces around her favourite bakery. In her cupped hands are three large eggs, and as she walks she takes great care not to drop them. Upon arrival at her destination, she places them down on the table gently, one by one. “Here, Mister Baker!”

 

“And right on time, too!” A pair of thick hands grab two eggs and cracks them simultaneously into a mixing bowl. “You want to crack the last one?” The girl grins up at the tall man in an apron standing next to her and nods eagerly. Giggling as she tiptoes to crack the egg into the bowl, he smiles affectionately when she successfully releases the contents of the egg from its brittle casing.

 

“Excellent!” He lowers the bowl down towards the girl so she can peer into the opalescent liquid adorned with three plump yellow yolks. “See that? Not a single piece of eggshell in there. Bravo, child!”

 

She beams wide as he ruffles her short hair, taking in great joy at his compliment. “Can I watch you bake today too?” she asks in her lilting, melodious voice. When he nods, she dashes off to retrieve a small stool to stand on. 

 

“Your daughter is very enthusiastic about baking,” the tall, rugged man remarks to his Head Decorator. “You should bring her here more often.”

 

“O-oh, is that so?” The decorator slaps an awkward smile on his face. “You know kids, his - I mean, her - interests will probably change in the future, so...”

 

The Head Baker laughs, a loud guffaw that echoes throughout the bakery. Clapping a hand on his co-worker’s shoulder, he points a thumb at himself proudly. “Like your child, I too was interested in baking since very young. My interests may have wavered, but look at where I am now! I think, with the right grooming, your child may very well take over my bakery when I retire!”

 

“Sounds good, eh?” He nudges the other man good-naturedly. “Oh, here she comes. Girl, are you ready? Today we make my special cinnamon muffins! I will teach you, then you can make them at home for your papa,” he says in his mild French accent, winking at the little girl carrying her wooden stool. As she sets up her stand, the tall baker waves his assistant away, all attention focused on the child next to him.

 

Neither the baker nor the small girl notice the decorator glaring at them as he angrily crushes the sugar flowers in his hand, pink powder trickling in waterfalls between his fingers onto the tiled floor of the bakery.

 

*

 

To clients, to strangers, Seungwan always makes sure to introduce herself as Wendy, a name she picked up while in the States. Real names are traceable and backgrounds can be digged up. Any personal information can, and will be, a liability, especially in her line of work. She doesn’t want to compromise another person’s life, especially after the last time.

 

And yet, here she is, grinning like a fool and blurting out her  _ real _ name to the most ethereal woman she has ever seen. She inwardly groans; how can someone be so stupid?

 

“I’m sorry?” The beauty in front of her looks slightly offended. “Did… did you just call me stupid?”

 

“What?” Seungwan comes back to her senses and quickly shakes her head. “Oh, no, absolutely not. I was just thinking to myself out loud.” She waves her hand in the air as if trying to pull silly thoughts out of her head. “Um, what was your name again?”

 

The small, slender woman raises her eyebrows, her face devoid of interest. “I haven’t told you my name yet, but thank you for asking.” At Seungwan’s flustered expression, she utters a short snicker, and covers her mouth with a hand as she giggles, her eyes curving into thin crescents. “I’m just joking! My name’s Joohyun.”

 

“Joohyun.” Seungwan likes the way her name settles on her tongue, so she says it again. “Joohyun, what would be a good date for you?”

 

The woman’s face freezes mid-laugh, and her eyes widen in surprise. Seungwan stares into confused gold-brown orbs. “A-Are you asking me on a date?” she asks, her eyeballs shaking nervously.

 

“What? No!” The fierce exclamation shocks both girls, and Seungwan immediately starts regretting being the owner of such a loud voice. Lest Joohyun comes to the wrong conclusion, she clarifies it in a quieter, more controlled tone. “I mean, I’m not asking you out on a date, but rather, when I should come to collect my laundry.”

 

The laundromat owner’s face turns even redder. “Oh, um, whenever you’re free. I should be done by tomorrow, and I’ll call you when your laundry’s all fresh and clean.” 

 

Seungwan smiles and offers to write down her contact number. Just like names, she has two separate phones, one for work, the other for more personal reasons. She has already given her real name — unintentionally — and so, for the sake of consistency, writes down her personal phone number as well. She feels compelled to tack on a small heart at the end, but decides against it.

 

Instead, she settles for a blinding grin and polite bow, and heads for the door. “I’ll be looking forward to your call!” she exclaims, waving goodbye to Joohyun.

 

*

 

Once her customer has walked out her door, Joohyun crouches down behind the counter, placing both hands on her warm cheeks. How could she have jumped to such a conclusion just after hearing the word ‘date’? Although, to be quite honest, she doesn’t think she would mind if Seungwan did actually ask her out. 

 

_ Wait, no. _ Joohyun messes up her hair, letting it cover her face as she internally attempts to straighten out her thoughts. She only just met the girl today, and she doesn’t even know whether Seungwan likes her.  _ This is silly. What am I thinking? _

 

“I’m back!” Yeri interrupts Joohyun’s period of contemplation with a loud shout, startling her. “Woah, are you alright? Did you have another attack?”

 

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m fine, don’t worry,” Joohyun says as she waves the younger woman away. “But you took longer than expected to come back. Did something happen?” Her gaze meets Yeri’s sparkling eyes, bright like two shining onyx stones.

 

“You have  _ no idea _ what just happened.” Yeri grabs Joohyun’s hands in hers and squeezes her eyes shut as if trying to keep herself from bursting. “Okay. Hold onto your favourite butts, mom, because I have something  _ amazing _ to tell you. So, I was changing clothes in my room, right? And then, I got a call from my company.”

 

She breathed in and lowered the pitch of her voice to mirror her manager’s. “Yeri, you have a modelling offer from…” Her eyes fly open. “JW Group! The biggest perfume company in Korea! A _super famous_ _international brand!_ ” Yeri’s hands flail everywhere, her excitement evident as she jumps up and down.

 

Joohyun’s heart swells with pride. She knows Yeri had taken her first step in this industry when she was a teenager, looking for modelling and acting gigs since middle school. Now that the young girl is getting her biggest break yet, Joohyun can’t be happier. “When’s the shoot?”

 

“It’s tomorrow, and apparently they’re going to be sending someone to pick me up. I think it’s a lady, but I’m not sure.” The teenage girl furrows her brows as she tries to recall the name, but when it doesn’t come she shakes her head and continues. “Anyway, I need to borrow some clothes from you. Got to make a great first impression, you know.” She turns her puppy eyes on Joohyun.

 

“I hate it when you do that,” Joohyun complains. She closes her eyes in a futile attempt; she can still feel Yeri’s pleading gaze behind her eyelids. To make things worse, the younger girl has now started whining like a wounded baby animal. “Fine, fine, take whatever you want, as long as you return them to me as soon as you’re done.”

 

Yeri victoriously pumps her fist in the air and rushes to look for the best clothing pieces that will fit her. Spying the giant laundry bag left on the shop counter, she pulls it down and opens it. “Whose is this, by the way? Was there a new customer?” Her eyes sparkle greedily. “Do they have nice clothes?”

 

“Ah,” Joohyun involuntarily blushes at the thought of the laundry bag’s owner. “That belongs to a new customer of mine.” She peers into the full bag and catches the faint, sweet fragrance of cinnamon.

 

Yeri catches Joohyun’s small smile and nudges her playfully. “Seems like someone you might be interested in?” Joohyun hushes Yeri’s teasing with a mock-frown, and the younger girl pouts. “Well, you never know. If you like them and show interest, they might end up liking you too.”

 

Joohyun ruffles Yeri’s hair affectionately. “When did my little Kim Yerim become such an adult?” she coos. She doesn’t disagree with the girl, however. Maybe she should learn more about Seungwan.  _ For example, _ Joohyun thinks to herself,  _ what would she be doing at this time of day? _

 

*

 

Seungwan didn’t realise it was possible to have such a great  _ and _ terrible week at the same time, but having met a beautiful woman this evening after days of fruitless information-hunting, she now knows that often there is a silver lining behind every dark cloud. Wishing her good luck will continue, she does a more in-depth run through the details her client has given her.

 

First of all, her name, Park Mina. Seungwan has scanned through records of all the ‘Park Mina’s of her generation that were born in the country, noting down those that may have relations to the CEO. Her task has been made much more difficult as her client was not clear on the child’s age.

 

“She is my daughter, but I only learnt of her a few weeks ago when I accidentally coincided with her mother,” her client had explained sadly, and refused to linger on this fact any further. Seungwan knew better than to pry; from watching enough dramas and having many friends of different backgrounds, she assumed an unspeakable truth. 

 

Moving on, she has another crucial fact: the girl was born with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Doing a quick google search on the condition, Seungwan learns of its trigger factors (chemicals with strong scents), as well as potential symptoms. “Short-term memory problems, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness and pain…” The list goes on and on. Seungwan wonders whether such a person can even survive in this densely-populated area, where the stench of sweat and vehicle pollution is thick in the air.

 

Her train of thought comes to a halt when one of her two handphones rings. Picking up the vibrating object, she answers the call. “Hello?”

 

“Wendy, it’s me.” Seungwan grins upon hearing her colleague’s voice on the line.

 

“Hey, Amber, what’s up?”

 

“I’ve got some info on your case. I just emailed it to you, but I don’t think your client would be happy to hear the news.” Seungwan hurries to check her mailbox. Opening the unread email from Amber, she scans through the information.

 

When she reaches the end of the message, a bolded sentence pops out at her, and her eyes widen in shock. “Date of death… Wait a minute. She’s  _ dead _ ?” she shouts into the phone, creating a sudden burst of crackling static.  

 

“Her death was registered more than a decade ago, Wendy.” Amber hesitates before quietly continuing. “Park Mina’s been dead for fifteen years.”


	3. Chapter Three

 

 _With bated breath we wait for the scent of perfection,_  
accompanied by the freshness of love.  
-Saim .A. Cheeda

 

“Lies.” The man standing exudes hostility as he rubs at his stubble in frustration. “What kind of investigator are you? How can you just walk into my office and tell me that my child dead?” His voice rises in volume with every accusatory word, and Seungwan tries her best to hold back her own temper as her client obstinately refuses to her explanation.

 

“Sir, with all due respect-”

 

“Respect, my _arse_!” Flecks of spittle fly from his mouth and land on her cheek. Seungwan fights the growing urge to put a fist in his face, and instead takes out a small handkerchief to clean her face. “You’re giving up so easily just like that? She must be alive! Her mother told me that she was alive!”

 

Ignoring the shaky finger directed her way, the blue-haired woman retrieves from the inner folds of her suit two sheets of printed paper. Laying it out on the table for her client to see, she points at each individual sheet. “This is her wanted poster when she went missing. This is the obituary that was printed in the newspaper a year after she vanished.”

 

Seungwan doesn’t show him the horrific pictures that came with the second email Amber sent her. She doesn’t want to look again at the pictures of a child with flesh so thoroughly burnt and barbecued even their face seemed to have melted away. The authorities couldn’t even pin an identity to the body, and had to work on assumptions. Their guesses lead to the announcement of Park Mina’s death at a young age. All this she explains to her client, whose face turns utterly crestfallen as he drops into his chair, shocked.

 

“Why are you so convinced that your child is still alive, sir?” Seungwan asks in the politest voice she can muster.

 

“Because I told her mother so! I told her mother I would find her, alive, no matter what. So... she… she can’t be _dead_!” His voice cracks, fury draining rapidly as he collapses into his chair. Seungwan sits quietly in her seat, allowing her client’s grief to fill the room.

 

The depressing atmosphere is interrupted by a message from the office phone. “CEO Park, Miss Sooyoung wishes to see you.”  A pause, followed by: “Or make that two, sir, she seems to be in a rush, according to her Personal Assistant.”

 

The CEO rises from his seat, quickly forming a reply to his secretary before tidying up and putting away the papers that Seungwan had brought. “Thank you for your help, Wendy,” he says as he ushers her out of his office, “but you must continue to look for my daughter. I will not believe she's dead unless facts have been proven, and I will certainly not believe some random assumptions made by those damned police.”

 

With that, the door closes on her, and Seungwan is left standing in an empty waiting room, wondering how she will ever find a dead person alive.

 

*

 

Joy groans, swivelling her chair clockwise and anti-clockwise, over and over, her legs crossed on her office chair. “And why do I have to do this again?” She glares daggers at her caramel-haired assistant who is typing out last-minute additions to their schedule for the next week. Grouchy and bored, she stares at her companion’s slender fingers as they work their magic on an old and beat-up laptop.

 

“Because you’ve been put in charge of this project, Joy,” the woman replies, brushing curled bangs away from her eyes. Without looking up she can already feel Joy directing a pout at her. The assistant laughs when she finally hears a wail from opposite her. “Sorry, but I really can’t do anything about it this time.”

 

“But Seulgi…” Joy whines, flopping her upper body onto her desk. “I don’t want to go…”

 

Her assistant grins as she closes her laptop, her administrative work done for now. “Sorry, boss, but you don’t really have a choice. Even your, um, discussion with the big boss didn’t go well.” Seulgi snickers at the memory of Joy bursting through office doors and throwing a ridiculously huge tantrum in the presence of the CEO upon hearing that she had been assigned to monitor the company’s latest photoshoot.

 

“Yeah, well, my father’s an ass. I mean, why did he even give me this damned job? Why do I have to work? We’ve got enough money to feed even my future grandkids!” That earns Joy a serious side-eye, Seulgi staring disparagingly at her with narrowed eyes. 

 

Huffing, Seulgi stands up, closed laptop in one hand and leather bag slung over her shoulder, and makes for the door. “Well, I can’t cover for you this time, so you have to come, like it or not. I’ve already texted you the location, so just input that into your car’s GPS so you know how to get to the studio. Meanwhile, I have to go and pick up our new model.” Joy looks up questioningly. “She’s underage, so someone has to arrange her transport, which happens to be… me.”

 

Joy fidgets in her seat. Half of her wants to stay back in this comfortable, air-conditioned office with plush chairs and hopefully oversleep past the allocated photoshoot time. The other half wants to follow Seulgi like a very annoying puppy and bug her until the older woman relents and lets Joy do whatever she wants. She sighs; why does her life have to be so difficult? “Ugh, fine. Can I go with you?”

 

Seulgi raises her eyebrows, not expecting the question at all. “Sure, I guess.” She reaches for her car keys in her sling bag, but Joy grabs her arm to stop her.

 

“I’m not going to sit in that wreck of a vehicle. We’re taking my car.”

 

*

 

Joohyun watches bemusedly as Yeri runs back and forth, snatching all types of clothes off their hooks in the laundromat, from animal print tees to designer ripped jeans, formal black suits to neon pink leotards. (They both agree that the leotard has no place in this world, and promptly discard it.) When the young girl finally settles on her own set of clothes that she originally wore home, Joohyun heaves a sigh and stares at the pile of clothes that she had painstakingly ironed and hung with care. To distract herself from the mess, she consults her handphone for the time, anticipating eyes trained on the blinking digits. “Your driver should be here anytime soon, right?”

 

Yeri nods and perks up the minute she hears a loud engine thrumming outside the laundry shop. “Wait, did you tell whoever it is that’s picking you up to come here?” Joohyun asks. Yeri jumps up to open the door, but sinks back into her seat in disappointment when she sees a sleek, black motorbike drive past and park just a few doors down the street. A few seconds later, the door creaks open, causing both women to stand up.

 

Yeri’s face pulls itself into a sulk as she seats herself, grumbling about high expectations and waiting times. Joohyun, however, grins from ear to ear.

 

Seungwan strides into the laundromat, shiny metallic blue helmet tucked under one arm. “Sorry I’m late!”

 

_//_

  _(a few days ago)_

  _“Hello? Is this Seungwan?”_

_“Um, yeah. Sorry, but who is this?”_

_“It’s Joohyun from the laundromat. You left your clothes here a few days ago?”_

_“Who? (...) Ah, the pretty lady!”_

_“I-I’m sorry?”_

_“Oh, nothing.” (chuckles) “What’s up, Joohyun?”_

_“Um, your clothes are done and clean, so you can come pick them up whenever you’re free.”_

_“Woah, that’s pretty fast! I’ll pop by at the end of this week then, if that’s alright with you.”_

_“Of course! I’m open 7 days a week, after all.”_

_“Great! And… um…”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Could I maybe, y’know, (in  a whisper:) pick you up as well…”_

_“W-what?”_

_(awkward laugh) “Nothing, nothing. So, Sunday, yeah? See you!”_

_-click-_

_“...”_

_“What did she say?”_

 

_//_

 

Joohyun listens to the light chatter between Yeri and her customer as she hunts for Seungwan’s laundry bag, quietly enjoying their banter. She perks up when she hears them talking about romantic relationships, and strains to listen in. She turns her head ever so slightly to eavesdrop better and catches Yeri’s subtle wink her way, and attempts to suppress a surprised laugh. _This kid catches on fast._

 

“But, um, no, I’m single now,” Joohyun manages to hear Seungwan say, and she presses her lips together to try and stop her happiness from leaking out. She finally manages to unearth the laundry bag and summons all of her strength to pull it out from the pile when she feels a warm pair of firm hands place themselves over hers.

 

“Let me help you,” Seungwan says as she smiles at Joohyun. The latter’s eyes pop out as they fixate on the two pairs of hands on top of each other, and is too shocked to move a muscle when Seungwan pulls on the laundry bag. “Alright! Got it!” The blue-haired girl grins at Joohyun, her forearm muscles accentuated as she easily carries the bag. Behind them, Yeri stifles a snigger from her friend, still standing in a frozen state.

 

“Hey, you’re pretty strong, huh?” She pokes Seungwan’s muscles, feeling their tough resistance against her fingers. “How strong are you? Do you think you can carry Joohyun?” They both glance towards the older woman, and Seungwan gives her a once-over before nodding.

 

“So, you think you can… pick her up?” In any other situation, such a question would have been innocent. But this is Yeri, after all, and she nudges Seungwan and winks suggestively. Just as Seungwan gapes at the implication, the door of the laundromat opens.

 

“I’m here to pick Yeri up!” A slim, tall woman announces as she steps into the building. Yeri perks up and whips her head around, excited. The woman chuckles and walks towards the young girl. “I assume that’s you?” she asks, extending her hand. Yeri’s head moves like a bobble-head back and forth with vigorous nods as she shakes the woman’s hand. “Excellent. My name’s Seulgi, I’ll be driving you to the photoshoot today.”

 

“And these two are…?” Seulgi asks, gesturing to Seungwan and Joohyun, both still frozen on the spot.

 

“Oh, she,” Yeri points to Joohyun “is my guardian. And this is her girlfriend,” she slips in, smirking as Seungwan and Joohyun simultaneously blush and deny her statement.

 

Seulgi opens her mouth to ask more, but is interrupted by a snarky voice by the door. “Can we go now? I’m bored and getting hungry.” The voice sounds familiar to Seungwan, though at this instant she cannot place it.

 

“I think we better go, then.” Yeri shoots a glare at the origin of the voice and whispers to Seulgi: “Who’s that? Why is she so rude?”

 

The taller woman laughs, her orange-brown hair curling like vines from a tree as she leans down to whisper back: “She’s your boss, and she’s my boss, so watch what you say.” She laughs at Yeri’s horrified expression. “Don’t worry, she won’t bite unless you’re being very uncooperative, or if you look like you have no idea what to do.”

 

Yeri blanches; with such a person overseeing today's photoshoot, would everything be able to go as planned?

 

*

 

Now alone together, Seungwan watches as Joohyun carefully weighs her laundry bag and calculates the price of her service. She stretches, rotates her neck and hears the crackling of bones, extends her arms as far as they can and then fold them back, feeling the muscles that lie beneath her skin tighten. “Say,” she starts, breaking the silence, “why did you choose to open a laundromat?.”

 

Joohyun turns around, a gentle, peaceful smile on her face. “It’s because I like the scent of fresh laundry the most. This shop smells like it now, after years of the walls absorbing its scent.” Seungwan breathes in the fragranced air, the subtle scent of vanilla and jasmine creating a sense of peace within her, as if she is walking in a tranquil garden of fresh flowers. For a brief moment, she wonders how it would be like to wake up to this aroma, to feel it linger on her clothes and body, to come home to a comfort like this.

 

This thought fills her with a courage that on another day she wouldn’t ever have. Striding with a spontaneous boldness up to the counter, she waits for Joohyun to print out a receipt. Without sparing a glance towards the piece of paper presented to her, Seungwan leans forward, bringing her face closer to the other woman’s.

 

Taking a deep breath, she makes unwavering eye contact with Joohyun, and enunciates her words carefully and precisely lest the woman mishears. “Miss Joohyun. Instead of paying in cash or card, can I invite you to dinner with me instead?”


	4. Chapter Four

 

 _The scent is sweet and melancholy._  
A bit like dying,  
A bit like falling in love.  
-Anonymous

 

Outside, the sun is descending into the horizon as the clouds waft around in the orange-coloured sky. Five in the evening marks the time when office workers and school students make their way home after a long day. Inside, Seungwan is entirely focused on Joohyun’s eyes, watching uncertainly as they waver hesitantly.  “Will you go out for dinner with me?” she asks again. “I’d like to get to know you better, if you don’t mind.” She raises her eyebrows and pulls the corners of her lips up in a smile. 

 

Joohyun averts her gaze, shy. This is what she had been dreaming of since they met last week, but she isn’t sure whether they are progressing too fast. What if Seungwan is only inviting her out as a friend, and not in a romantic way? But Joohyun nods anyway, slowly, gazing into those earnest eyes.

 

 Seungwan beams at her response, her face lighting up as if she just received the best present of her life. “That’s great! Is tomorrow night okay with you, or would you prefer another time?” She asks, whipping out her phone to schedule their date.

 

“Well…” Joohyun drags out her answer, “I think Tuesday night would be better. Maybe around six p.m.?” She smiles affably, hoping that Seungwan couldn’t read her face and unearth the nervous anticipation hidden behind her calm face.

 

“Ah, I see.” Seungwan hums in response, head bowed down as she types the details into the calendar on her screen, and Joohyun tries her best not to laugh at how obvious the woman’s feelings are reflected on her face. “I mean, after all, you’re busy, and I’m busy, so…” She bobs her head side to side as she mutters under her breath.

 

Pursing her lips to stop her laughter from exploding, Joohyun quickly lugs the laundry bag out towards her customer-cum-dinner-date. “Here you go.” Seungwan tucks her phone back into her pocket and reaches for her bag. Joohyun belatedly realises that there are two straps on the bag that Seungwan pulls up her shoulders, so it now looks like she’s a coal briquette delivery-woman with a heavy load on her slouching back.

 

“Oh my gosh, are you sure you can carry that _and_ ride a motorbike?” Joohyun asks, baffled, watching as Seungwan reaches for her helmet. “Isn’t there a law that says you can’t do that?” 

 

The blue-haired woman thinks about it for a few moments before shrugging, the laundry backpack shifting up and down with her movements. “As long as the police don’t stop me on the road or hunt me down, I think I should be fine.”

 

Joohyun walks Seungwan out of the shop and to the waiting motorcycle parked a few doors down. “Next time, take a cab instead,” she nags. “Imagine getting into an accident just because you decided to act tough and ride a bike with a huge thing on your back.” Seungwan rolls her eyes at the mother-like lecture as she tries to put her helmet on. Joohyun watches her struggle with the helmet for about two seconds before taking it from her hands and putting it on the girl’s head herself. 

 

As Joohyun leans down to buckle the helmet strap, she is extremely conscious of the fresh dough and spices that is Seungwan’s scent, of the proximity of Seungwan’s glossy strawberry lips, and unconsciously licks her own. The latter doesn’t seem to notice, however, as her mind is still half occupied with the thought of the deceased Park Mina. Joohyun pats the top of the helmet to bring her back to reality. “Okay, I’m done! Have a safe trip home, Seungwan, and… see you in two days’ time?”

 

The motorcyclist winks back suggestively. “Definitely. I’m looking forward to our date!” She gives Joohyun a little wave and zooms off. 

 

Once she vanishes around the corner, the older woman covers her face with her hands. _Our date?_ “A date!” she crows to herself and hops around excitedly. “I have a date with Seungwan!”

 

*

 

Yeri sits under the watchful eyes of Joy as she is attended to by makeup artists and stylists. When she accidentally makes eye contact with the bored manager through the mirror, she awkwardly coughs and looks down. “Why is she staring at me?” she hisses to one of her close stylists, but the stylist has no answer to her question. She fidgets in her seat and wills Seulgi to return, hoping the friendly woman would accompany her in the dressing room instead of their icy boss.

 

“Hey, you, kid,” Joy suddenly calls out, and Yeri freezes in her seat. _Oh no, did she hear me? Did I do something wrong?_ Questions run through her head as she tries to think of why the woman with the bobbed haircut is suddenly talking to her.

 

“What was your name again?” Joy asks as she takes out her phone. Yeri breathes a sigh of relief when the woman finally stops staring at her to fiddle with the phone screen.

 

“My name’s Yeri.”

 

Joy shakes her head at the answer. “No, no, I mean your real name.”

 

“Oh. Um, my real name is Kim Yerim.”

 

Joy watches as the makeup artists apply the final layer of makeup to Yeri’s face and nods approvingly. “You’re actually quite pretty, aren’t you, Kim Yerim?” At that statement-like question, all movements cease as everyone turns to look at Yeri, then Joy. While the latter is still relaxedly sitting on the couch with phone in her hand, Yeri is stunned, her mouth wide open as she attempts to stammer out a reply.

 

“Huh? I… thank you?” she offers a small smile as she turns around to face Joy.

 

“So you think you’re pretty,” Joy muses with a smirk. “What confidence you have.” Yeri gapes at Joy’s snide remark, bemused. Were the woman’s words not meant as a compliment?

 

“Joy, stop teasing other people,” Seulgi chides as she pushes the door open. “Are you done, Yeri? Let’s start the photoshoot now.”

 

As Yeri follows the taller woman out, she glances back to make sure that their boss isn’t following them, then asks Seulgi: “Isn’t she supposed to be in charge of this project?” Seulgi nods. “Then… shouldn’t she be the one running about to make sure everything goes smoothly, instead of you?”

 

“The Chairman of the company assigned her this project, she didn’t have a choice. To be quite honest, she hates her job, so she doesn’t really give two shits about anything that goes on.” Yeri nods to herself; the explanation makes sense. _No wonder she seems so unphased and detached from everything_ , she thinks.

 

“But anyway, as I was saying,” Seulgi continues, “your CF partner arrived before you did, so we took some of her shots first. If you don’t mind, we’ll take the couple photos first, then your individual ones. Is that okay?”

 

Before Yeri can ask who her partner is, a squeal erupts from the photoshoot site, and she is immediately tackled to the ground. She bats long, black hair away from her face and stares into familiar shining copper-brown eyes. “Saeron?”

 

“I was right, it is you!” Saeron gets to her feet and pulls Yeri up, then hugs her again. “They told me a Yeri was coming for the project as well, but they didn’t specify that it was you!” Her joyful attitude brings a comfortable grin to Yeri’s face, and she clings on to her friend happily.

 

As they pose with the products in front of the camera, Seulgi looks on approvingly, her arms crossed at her chest as she stands next to the photographer. Joy pops up behind her with a sulk. “Do I still have to stay here?” she whines, leaning her chin on Seulgi’s shoulder.

 

“Yes, now shush.” So that Joy wouldn’t be able to abscond, Seulgi quickly grabs the woman’s hand with hers and holds it tightly. Although Joy groans at the answer, she sneaks a glance at their hands and smirks satisfactorily. Turning her gaze to the young couple who were smiling at the camera with perfume bottles in their hands and props surrounding them, she notices that despite the fact that they are both younger than her, they hold an air of professionalism and confidence when working.

 

Catching Yeri’s eye as the young girl changes position, she is surprised when Yeri does not flinch like before in the dressing room, but gives her a sincere smile and curves her eyes into crescents.

 

“They’re like different people when they’re working, aren’t they?” Joy murmurs into Seulgi’s ear.

 

Seulgi nods in agreement. “That’s because they love and respect their job. Even if one’s personality is more introverted and shy, when given responsibility, they may become more assertive and trustworthy.” She looks at Joy’s head propped on her shoulder. “Wouldn’t it be great if one day, you could find something to do that would make you feel that way too?”

 

Joy stares at Yeri and Saeron having fun on set while maintaining their poise in front of the flashing camera. When the photoshoot director announces that they can move on to the next series of photos, the applause that rings out on set is like music to her ears, and she purses her lips thoughtfully. “You know, Seulgi, I think I’ve just found it.”

 

*

 

Seungwan rolls anxiously on her bed with papers strewn around her as she waits for her call to connect. She doesn’t know what to think about her current situation, having a client tell her to continue searching for his lost, dead daughter. Glaring daggers at her phone, she wills the person on the other line to pick up the phone.

 

“Hello? Wendy?” Seungwan jumps up at the voice and hurriedly grabs her phone.

 

“Amber! Oh, thank goodness you picked up. I need your opinion on something”

 

“Sure, hit me,” Amber says, ever ready to help.

 

“My client wants me to continue searching for his daughter, even though I’ve already told him that she’s already passed on.”

 

Amber sighs over the phone, causing the line to crackle. “Wendy, I’m saying this because we’ve been colleagues and friends for a good few years now, but it does no good to anyone to look for the dead. I’m also talking from experience…” She hesitates, leaving the line silent for a few moments. Seungwan thinks she knows this story, vaguely; she’s heard it from various sources as rumors, but had never actually from Amber herself.

 

Amber takes a deep breath before continuing. “I, too, had to chase down a person who had been marked down as dead. My client demanded I bring his sister back to him, not knowing that she was actually targeted by multiple loan sharks after borrowing too much money and not being able to pay them back. And then, and I’m sure you’ve heard this at least once among our colleagues… I made the big mistake of falling for her.”

 

Krystal was her name, Seungwan remembers now. Krystal, the incessant gambler and shopaholic, had convinced Amber to help her run from the gangsters that were looking for her. She seduced Amber, giving false promises, and Seungwan’s colleague had fell for her lies, hook, line, and sinker. And Amber suffered greatly when the woman was finally caught by the loan sharks.

 

“Which is why I’m telling you now, that even though you might not do something as stupid as I did last time, even though you may not be as _weak_ as me, physically and emotionally… Dabbling in death is never a good thing.” 

 

Seungwan goes quiet as she hangs her head, downcast. On one hand, she, too, thinks that it wouldn’t be sensible or wise to continue looking for Park Mina, but she also doesn’t want to disappoint her client. She understands, empathises, with the loss of a close family member, having grown up most of her life without a mother.

 

It is as if Amber can read her mind because she says: “If you’re thinking of continuing with your search anyway, then please be careful. I can’t help you with this case anymore.”

 

Seungwan smiles, thankful for Amber’s advice. “That’s okay, Amber. I’ll try to figure it out. Thank you anyway.” She starts to hang up, but is stopped by her friend.

 

“Oh, and one last thing,” Amber says. “You know I have tattoos, don’t you? But you don’t know the reason I have them, and I hope you never have to find out why.” 

 

She pauses, then before ending the call: “May you never find the need to get your own set of tattoos. Good luck.” Seungwan is left with the constant, quiet beeping of a finished call in her ear, and images of the same burnt body encircling her to haunt her through the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter Five

 

_T he sense of smell, _   
_like a faithful counsellor,_   
_foretells its character._   
_\- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin_

 

For the first time in their friendship, Joohyun asks Yeri to accompany her on a shopping trip for some new clothes, and the younger girl couldn’t be happier. She peppered Joohyun with all sorts of questions on the bus to the shopping mall, thoroughly embarrassing the older woman in more ways than one, from her ridiculously loud voice when she gets excited, to the actually specific questions she is asking.

 

“So how did she ask you out? When’s your date? Do you have a style in mind to _seduce_ her?” Yeri nudges Joohyun and winks, emitting a dolphin-like squeal that causes other commuters to shoot glares at the duo. “Oh, what if your date is at a really fancy restaurant? What if she wears, like, a really fancy dress? Or what if she wears a really fancy _suit_?” Joohyun begins to realise that Yeri’s imagination is limitlessly wild, but does admit that Seungwan would look pretty chic in a sharp suit.

 

To be quite honest, Joohyun doesn’t really know where Seungwan will be bringing her to either, but she isn’t planning on giving Yeri a chance to convince her to buy any expensive, luxurious clothes. When they arrive at the shopping mall, she grabs Yeri by the arm before the girl manages to run off to her clothing paradise. “I’m just looking for something simple, okay?” 

 

Yeri groans and rolls her eyes. “You have a _lot_ of simple clothes, Joohyun. We should buy something eye-catching for your first date instead, so when Seungwan sees you, she’ll go, ‘Oh wow, this is definitely a woman I’d want to live the rest of my life with.’ Isn’t that the case?” She wiggles her brows knowingly.

 

Joohyun doesn’t need any words, and just stares at her companion until she relents. “Fine, fine, we’ll get something simple,” Yeri sighs, defeated. “But it should be pretty, and therefore you will also look pretty in it.” 

 

To that, Joohyun wholeheartedly agrees.

 

But it seems that Yeri doesn’t fully comprehend the meaning of the word ‘simple’, from the way she beelines towards shelves of extremely revealing, obnoxiously bright neon crop tops and sparkly leggings. She looks at Joohyun with eyes as shiny as the silvery top in her grasp; Joohyun simply takes it from her hand and chucks it far away.

 

As she drags Yeri away from the disco-ball-like outfits, she hears a loud snicker from behind her. Turning around, Yeri grins when she sees a fit copper-haired woman standing behind her, jumping to wrap her in a hug. “Seulgi! What’re you doing here?”

 

Seulgi pats Yeri on the head affectionately, then bows to Joohyun respectfully. Joohyun bows back. “I’m here to buy clothes, why else?”

 

“Excuse you, but have you forgotten about greeting a certain someone?” A snide voice remarks, and Yeri looks up into Joy’s glaring eyes. Yeri quickly shifts back to bow to her, and Joy scoffs disbelievingly. “What’s with this response? No hugs for me?” She tosses her hair back, the curled ends of her bobbed hair bouncing lightly.

 

“Um, Yeri,” Joohyun whispers nervously from afar, “maybe we should buy something and get going?” The sudden arrival of Joy puts her off, especially the woman’s air of pretentiousness and obvious contempt for others. Unfortunately, her question catches the attention of Joy, who struts forward to stick her hand out.

 

“Hi, you can call me Joy. Who are you? Are you with Yeri?” she asks brusquely, scrutinising Joohyun from head to toe. Seulgi leans in to whisper something into her ear. To everyone’s surprise, Joy suddenly grabs Joohyun’s wrist and announces: “I’ll be taking her for a while!” out of nowhere and drags her away.

 

Once they are out of earshot, Joy offers a deep bow to Joohyun. “Sorry, I didn’t know that you were much older than me, since you look so young and all.” The shorter woman raises her brows as the statement that sounds very much like a compliment and an insult at the same time. “If you don’t mind, I want to ask you something. I was wondering,” Joy continues, unexpectedly assuming an air of awkwardness, “why did Yeri decide to pursue a career in modelling? Or entertainment in general.”

 

Hands on her hips, Joohyun looks up at Joy, trying to meet her eyes. “You should be asking her, not me.” She looks around for Yeri, but the young girl has disappeared along with Seulgi. She turns her gaze back to the tall woman in front of her. “What do you really want to ask me?” she asks knowingly.

 

Joy hesitates, biting her lip nervously. Her actions continue to bewilder Joohyun, as she remembers Yeri telling her that Joy was possibly the most prideful and dispassionate woman she had ever met, and yet here she is behaving very much like a child called before their principal. “Well,” Joy says tentatively, “why did you let Yeri join this industry? Wouldn’t you have preferred her to work in a safer, more stable job, as a parent?”

 

Joohyun splutters in indignation. “Joy,” - her icy tone makes the younger woman shrink a little - “I am not her parent, I am her guardian. And as her guardian and her friend, it is my duty to support and encourage her to do whatever she wants with the best of my abilities, no matter how hard the road ahead of her might be.” 

 

“But how about a more stable career? Why not let her work with you? Wouldn’t that be better?” Joy presses.

 

Staring into Joy’s wavering eyes, she says in a gentler tone: “Joy, Yeri is a very precious person to me, and I’m happy as long as she is. And if I ever have children in the future, I’d do the same for them, for their happiness. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

Before Joy can form a coherent reply, Yeri bounces towards them with a grinning Seulgi following her. “Joohyun, I’ve found the best outfit for you! Don’t worry, Seulgi helped me pick it out, so it’s exactly as you said: simple!” she exclaims happily. 

 

She stops short mid-bounce, glancing between Joy and Joohyun worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

 

Joohyun shakes her head and averts her gaze towards Yeri and Seulgi. “Nothing,” she says assuredly, smiling. “So, did you say you’ve found a proper set of clothing that I would be actually willing to wear? I don’t believe you.”

 

She knows the young girl will take her words as a challenge, and cheers on the inside when Yeri reacts exactly like how she expects her to. “Well, you should, because I did,” Yeri deadpans with raised eyebrows, attention immediately diverted towards Joohyun. Seulgi steps forward at that, revealing from behind her back the clothes that they had carefully picked.

 

Scrutinising them, Joohyun finally gives the youngest girl a nod and thumbs-up of approval. Yeri smirks and jumps up to wrap her arms around her friend. “I promise you,” she says with absolute seriousness, “everything will go perfectly!”

 

But Joohyun is just slightly more concerned with Joy’s anxiety, now hidden under a thin mask of arrogant confidence. Without addressing anyone in particular, she mutters, “I hope so too.”

 

*

 

Seungwan shifts impatiently in her seat, more than once catching herself taking a glimpse at the lamp-lit pavement outside the cafe or counting the vehicles as they pass by on their way home. Her fingers twitch for her phone placed on the table, fighting the urge to text or call Joohyun and ask her where she is. She settles for a rhythmic tapping, as if playing the piano, and with her other hand attempts to neaten the waves of her sea-blue hair.

 

She glares at her phone now, resolving to call Joohyun if she doesn’t arrive within the next five minutes. Her mind is abuzz with questions the way her stomach is with butterflies. _What if she was kidnapped? What if she was attacked? What if-_

 

Her rising panic is interrupted by the soft ‘ding!’ of the wind-chime overhead of the door. Her head shoots up and a wide grin spreads across her cheeks unconsciously. Lost for words, Seungwan smiles like a fool at the woman who has just entered the cafe, incomprehensible sounds spilling out from her mouth as she attempts to call her over.

 

Luckily for her, the newcomer spots her and waves happily. “Seungwan!” she calls, walking over. Cream mini-shorts ride up her hips as she bounces up the few steps towards the table, her milky-white legs exposed for the world to see. The top three buttons of her pastel pink blouse are left open, and Seungwan catches a peek of the tight-fitting white tank top underneath it. 

 

She rushes to her feet as soon as Joohyun approaches the table and pulls out a chair for her date, then places her folded coat over Joohyun’s legs once the woman sits down. As she covers Joohyun with her coat, she begins to nag: “Honestly, it’s cold outside today, why did you wear something so short like this? Isn’t it too revealing? People will stare!”

 

Joohyun places a hand on Seungwan’s while staring at her, bemused. “Do you not like what I’m wearing tonight?”

 

Suddenly bashful, Seungwan quickly retracts her hand and settles back in her own seat opposite Joohyun. “Ah, well,” she fidgets in her seat, glancing at Joohyun, “it’s not that I don’t _like_ what you’re wearing, I just… don’t like it if other people are going to stare at you or your legs.” Joohyun’s eyes widen slightly and she looks around the cafe. Now aware of the stares from the other patrons of the cafe, and she immediately adjusts Seungwan’s coat so that her bare legs are fully covered. 

 

“But, anyway,” Seungwan hurriedly moves on, covering her reddening cheeks with one hand and lifting the other to call a waiter over, “I hope you’re hungry, because this cafe has some really amazing pasta.”

 

*

 

Joohyun has always wondered why her romantic interests tended to lean towards women than any other gender; today, she finds the answer in the form of Seungwan, a fit, beautiful woman with a voice like chocolate fondue and fragrance like freshly-baked cinnamon muffins. She learns that they share the same interests - listening to music, relaxing at home, anything related to food - and that Seungwan bakes some pretty tasty brownies. 

 

(Upon learning that today is Joohyun’s birthday, Seungwan voices her regrets on not discovering this fact earlier, and unhesitatingly promises to bake a cake for her the next time they meet, bringing a smile to Joohyun’s face.)

 

One thing she notices, however, is that Seungwan tends to avoid any topic related to work. 

 

So out of curiosity, she asks: “So, what do you do? As in, your job?” Seungwan chokes on her linguine at that question, coughing and reaching for a glass of water. Joohyun, shocked, stands up to pat her on the back and ease her coughs. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” 

 

Seungwan takes a gulp of her water and breathes deeply to recover, naturally placing her hand on Joohyun’s arm to placate her. “Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry. Just caught off-guard, that’s all.” Joohyun relaxes and sits down, still staring expectantly at Seungwan.

 

The blue-haired woman inhales as she tries to find the right words to describe her occupation. “Um, my job is to find people who have gone missing, who have vanished for whatever reason.” _Like a detective, then_ , Joohyun surmises.

 

“Are you looking for anyone now?” she asks as she twirls spaghetti around her fork.

 

Seungwan avoids her gaze and nods slowly. “Yeah, kind of, but I can’t disclose any information about who I’m looking for. Confidential information and all.” Joohyun is appeased by that answer and continues to eat her pasta. “But,” Seungwan continues tentatively, “have you, by any chance, heard of something called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Joohyun answers without thinking. “I have that condition, after all.”


	6. Chapter Six

 

 

_Earth…_  
Tonight your petals may be fragile,  
But they still bloom with the sweet scent of hope.  
-Susan Gale

 

Seungwan sits in her seat, frozen, as she waits for Joohyun to return from the washroom. Her half-full plate of pasta grows cold opposite Joohyun's cleaned one, and although she knows it wouldn't be right not to finish the meal, she just doesn't have the stomach for it anymore. Her hands twitch, looking for something, anything, to calm her whirlpool of thoughts, so she picks up her fork and aimlessly twirls linguine around in its creamy sauce.

 

_Joohyun… has MCS?_ The gears in Seungwan’s brain grind against each other as she tries her best to avoid jumping to any conclusions. Taking in deep breaths to calm herself down, she attempts to convince herself that even though the condition may not be common,  it was certainly not very rare to find, either. _So Joohyun might not be-_

 

“Seungwan? Are you okay?”

 

Joohyun’s wide, doe-like eyes are mere centimetres away from Seungwan’s, and the proximity makes Seungwan jump slightly in her seat. “Ah, yes, I’m okay,” she replies as she brushes her hair back. “Do you want to order anything else?” she asks out of politeness’ sake.

 

Shaking her head, Joohyun remains standing next to Seungwan. “Not really, no. But your pasta…” Seungwan shrugs and pushes her plate away; her lack of appetite is slowly making her nauseous at the sight of uneaten cream pasta. 

 

_I need a distraction_ , she thinks. 

 

Getting to her feet, she tugs on her coat and naturally reaches for Joohyun’s hand.

 

“Let’s go somewhere.”

 

*

 

“You know,” Joohyun muses, “I knew there was a reason why I had a _teeny-tiny_ feeling you were definitely someone who would bring their partner to a motel on their first date.”

 

Seungwan gasps in mock surprise, placing a hand over her heart. “Wow, do I really give off that impression? Wow, unbelievable.” She pretends to look around for any observers before leaning in close. “You saw right through me,” she whispers teasingly, giving Joohyun a cheeky wink.

 

Joohyun’s cheeks turn the colour of ripe beetroot, and she cups her face in her hands to hide the heat that blazes on her face. “But seriously though,” she wonders, “why are we here?”

 

“Because I want to show you something really cool.” Seungwan’s words are as earnest as the expression on her face.

 

Joohyun follows Seungwan into the building where they breeze past the receptionist and head straight for the lifts. They stand inside the one of the lifts for a good two seconds before Seungwan steps out again, much to Joohyun’s confusion. “Do you mind if I took the stairs instead?” Seungwan asks, sheepish. “I, um, ate too much. I should probably get some exercise. Race you to the top!” she exclaims as she presses the button to the topmost floor before fleeing, leaving Joohyun alone in the dimly lit elevator.

 

_What was that about?_ Joohyun thinks to herself as she ascends to the top of the building. It doesn’t make any sense to her that Seungwan could ever be full, not with her dinner barely touched. She sighs, the quiet sound louder than ever in the small space, and closes her eyes as she leans back on one of the surrounding metal walls.

 

When she finally reaches the top, Seungwan is standing there, her hair wind-tossed and face flushed from sprinting up five floors. She grabs Joohyun’s hand as soon as the doors open and drags her up the final flight of stairs leading to the rooftop. They burst through the roof door and stumble onto the flat rooftop. Fresh, cold air enter Joohyun’s lungs as an autumn breeze tickles her slender frame.

 

She turns her head, looks at her companion for the night. Locks of deep blue hair whip around Seungwan’s face and neck, sometimes hiding and sometimes revealing fair skin and an especially pretty neckline. Fading light from surrounding buildings angle shadows onto her face; her lips are slightly parted as exhalations leave in faint clouds of fog. Their hands are still loosely held together.

 

“Look,” Seungwan says as she gazes up at the night sky. Joohyun follows her lead and utters a soft gasp at the sight of a full moon bathing them in its soft light and a few stars that shyly wink at them. 

 

“I come up here often when I need to clear my head, since it makes me feel like I’m home,” Seungwan explains in a hushed whisper. “Whether it’s Canada or Korea, the moon will still shine with the same brightness. Even if everything else is different, we still share the same sky, the same moon, the same stars. Isn’t it beautiful?”

 

Joohyun glances over at Seungwan, smiling softly at the usually assertive woman’s contemplative expression. “Yeah, it is.”

 

*

 

Of the four walls that make up Kang Seulgi’s bedroom, the wall closest to her bed is the only unpainted one. Instead, imprinted onto it is a magnetic wallpaper that also imitates a whiteboard, allowing it to be covered in tons of stylistic drawings and messy handwriting. Tonight, she is busy working on a recent idea of hers, sketching in the contours of her latest ball gown on a rough piece of art paper. Her eyes dart around her workspace, absorbing inspiration from the magazine cutouts that litter the surface of her desk.

 

When Seulgi is completely absorbed in her work, she tends to ignore any text messages, calls, or emails from her phone, which is why she gets an even greater shock when she suddenly hears the equivalent sound of a stampede at her door. “Seulgi!! I know you’re in there! Let me in right now!”

 

_What in the world..._ “Joy? How did you even find me?” she asks as she strides towards the door. Opening it, the tall, short-haired woman sways and collapses into her arms. Seulgi smells the faint scent of soju on her breath and sighs. Helping her friend towards her bed, she leaves Joy to lie down in a comfortable position, throwing a duvet over her to keep the girl warm.

 

“Jeez, didn’t I tell you to fix this drinking habit of yours?” Seulgi complains as she tugs off Joy’s heels.

 

“Seulgi…” Joy whimpers into a corner of the blanket and curls into a little ball. Seulgi watches with worry as a tear leaks from the corner of her companion’s eye.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asks, concerned, but Joy has already begun to quietly snore, falling asleep after drinking herself drunk. Seulgi scratches her head with the edge of her pencil. _Looks like questions would have to wait._

 

*

 

Seungwan swings her arms aimlessly at her sides as she scuffs one shoe against asphalt concrete. Standing opposite her, Joohyun is equally reluctant to leave, swaying on the spot as the night grows colder. They both find it difficult to break eye contact, although Seungwan finally gives in and blinks.

 

Averting her eyes, she stares up at the small apartment above Joohyun’s laundromat where the woman lives. “You should probably go in,” she says out loud, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets. “It’s getting colder.”

 

Joohyun slowly nods, dragging out the moment as long as she possibly can. “You should get going too, since it’s really late at night now.”

 

“Yeah.” Seungwan takes her time shuffling backwards towards the general direction of her house. When she reaches the corner of the block, she waves towards Joohyun. “I’m going to stand here until you go in,” she calls out.

 

Joohyun laughs and unlocks the gate leading to the apartment. “Alright, I’m going in! Take care when going home, okay?” She waves at Seungwan before starting up the stairs, but shifts back to peek at Seungwan’s receding back turn round the corner. 

 

“Goodnight, Seungwan,” she whispers wistfully, and heads up home to rest for the night.

 

*

 

Joy wakes up to the scratching of graphite against paper and the familiar, fruity scent of oranges, passionfruit, and honeysuckle. Cracking one eye open, she sees dim light casting faint shadows on the ceiling, and sleepily rolls onto her side. Just as she is about to close her eyes, a sheet of paper falls onto her face. Surprised, she splutters and flails on the spot, crumpling the paper in her fist as she nearly rolls off the bed.

 

She stops just at the edge of the bed, chest heaving from the shock. She slowly sits up and uncreases the paper ball in her hand. Her eyes land on an extremely detailed sketch of an expressionless model wearing the most stunning dress she has ever laid eyes on. Bringing it closer to her face to properly examine the drawing, she notes the subtle floral pattern sewed into the hem of the dress, and reads the little annotations by the sides of the sketch that take the design into further detail.

 

She decides to put the sheet of paper back from where it fell, but as she moves to place it back, she widens her eyes in awe as she takes in the sight of an entire wall full of sketches, whether half-finished or done in excruciating detail, of outfits in different fashion styles. Scribbled next to them in whiteboard marker are notes, both messy and neat, with lines linking various designs to form complete collections. 

 

But it’s the signature at the bottom of each drawing that catches her eye - a simple bear with a crown floating on top of its head, and scrawled next to it: SeulK. She traces one of the many signatures with an index finger, from the curves of the bear’s ears to the sharp strokes at the end of the ‘K’. 

 

“Oh, you’re awake,” a tired voice remarks mid-yawn, and Joy turns to smile at her friend. Seulgi has her hair tied up in a loose bun with thin, circular, silver-rimmed spectacles propped on the bridge of her nose, and a blunt HB pencil between her fingers. “How are you feeling, Joy?”

 

“Seul, haven’t I told you already to just use my real name when there’s no one else around?” Joy reprimands as she shifts into a cross-legged position on the bed.

 

“Okay, okay. How are you feeling, _Sooyoung_?”

 

“Like shit,” Joy answers truthfully. “Dehydrated and tired.” 

 

Seulgi stands up to grab a bottle of water from her mini-fridge, uncapping it with deft hands. “But before that,” she says while handing the bottle over to Joy, “you were crying.”

 

Joy gulps down a few mouthfuls of water before pursing her lips and sighing. “I brought up the idea of joining the entertainment business over dinner with my dad today.”

 

“And?”

 

“And as expected, he said no.” Joy leans backwards and flops onto the bed, exasperated. “We had a huge fight about it, and I got so angry I just left the house.”

 

“So what’re you going to do now?” If there’s one thing Seulgi knows about her friend and boss, it’s that Joy doesn’t know how to give up.

 

“I’m going to ask around, talk to some people in the business. Speaking of… Seul, can you help me connect with, what’s her name, Yeri’s guardian? I’d like to talk to her, get to know more about entertainment.”

 

Seulgi feels like she should point out that it is in fact Yeri, and not Joohyun, that she should be speaking to to attain an insider’s perspective. But it is rather late at night, so she decides to save it for morning, and just nods in agreement. “Alright,” she says and turns off her desk light. “Now move over, I need to sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

 

*

 

Seungwan sits hunched over her laptop, her fingers typing furiously as she searches for something, anything, about Joohyun, desperate to dispel her rapidly forming ideas that the woman might be Park Mina. Next to her, Amber - via phone call - tries to calm her down. “Look, what’re the chances that this Joohyun person turns out to be Mina? Like you said, MCS isn’t particularly rare, especially since a good proportion of people these days tend to have symptoms similar to the syndrome.”

 

In response, Seungwan sighs, rubs her face with both hands as she waits for the page to load on her screen. “But what if she _is_ Mina? I’m so screwed, Amber. I can’t get romantically involved with a client!”

 

Amber chuckles darkly. “You’re telling me.”

 

Exhausted, Seungwan gives up for the night, slamming her laptop shut and flopping onto her side. “Yeah, what are the chances, right?” she mumbles.

 

“Get some sleep, Wendy. It’s like, what, almost four in the morning over there? Rest for the night, then continue tomorrow after lunch.”

 

Seungwan hums in agreement and ends the call after wishing her friend goodnight. Cocooning herself in her blanket, she closes her eyes and tries her very best to doze off, but a sudden call convinces her otherwise.

 

“Yes?” she answers the call without looking at her screen.

 

“Hi, Seungwan, it’s Joohyun. Sorry, were you asleep?”

 

For reasons unknown, hearing Joohyun’s voice brings a sense of calm to Seungwan despite her earlier agitation, and it brings a smile to her face. “No, not at all. What’s wrong?” she asks. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping? Did something happen?”

 

She thinks she’s going a bit crazy, but Seungwan swears she can hear Joohyun smile over the phone. “Nothing’s happened, don’t worry. I was just thinking about you… I mean, you weren’t looking too well during dinner, so I just wanted to call and ask whether you’re feeling better now.” 

 

Touched, a sudden fit of giggles escape Seungwan’s lips. “Why are you laughing?” Joohyun asks, slightly hurt.

 

Seungwan grins, shifting so that she’s lying on her stomach. Propping herself up on her arms, she places her phone on her pillow so it feels like she’s talking to Joohyun, face-to-face. “I’m laughing because I was thinking of you too.”

 

She ponders for a while, then asks, “Can we meet again for another date? I really want to get to know you more.”

 

_I need to know that you’re not the girl I’m looking for, because I think I might be starting to like you._


	7. Chapter Seven

 

_A familiar scent on a distant breeze  
_ _Brought memories of remembrance.  
_

_-R. McFreshington_

 

Hands in her pockets, Seungwan stands in an elevator as she prepares herself to meet the CEO. As she waits for the lift to arrive at her destination, her mind goes back to the night before, when she requested to see Joohyun again. She doesn’t deny herself the fact that she was slightly disappointed when she did not receive an immediate response.

 

In fact, Joohyun had hesitated before asking for more time to think, and it bothered Seungwan a lot. Even now as she fidgets in the lift she wonders whether she had done something wrong. Was she not as warm and polite as she should have been, or were any of her actions suspicious in any sort of way?

 

Her reverie is shortened when the lift doors open with a soft chime, and her eyes focus on the man that stands on the other side, in a sharp suit and hair slicked back. He glances at her and smiles; she offers a nod of acknowledgement. As they pass each other, Seungwan wonders who he is, and why he seems familiar.

 

But it is not the time to dwell on thoughts, as she has a client to appease.

 

“So, you’re telling me that you’ve met someone with the same… disease as my daughter? Interesting.” CEO Park rubs at his upper lip with a finger, deep in thought. “But you’ve said that MCS isn’t particularly rare, right?”

 

Seungwan nods affirmative. “About a third of the population would have some variation of the syndrome - it might be mild in a person, but severely crippling in another. So far, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that this particular person may be related to this case.” She hesitates, then: “But, sir, do you still want to continue this investigation? The police…”

 

The chairman looks up with a glare so piercing it stops Seungwan before she continues any further. “Are you giving up?” he shouts accusingly. He takes in a deep breath, then exhales sharply. “Do you need more money? I can pay you more to prove that the police are wrong… or right. I just need proof.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Seungwan quickly says, metaphorical tail between her legs. She remembers the unknown man at the elevator then. “If you don’t mind me asking, sir, there was someone else here before me. May I enquire as to who he is?”

 

The CEO dismisses her question with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t matter who he is. I just need you to do your job and find Mina,” he says before sending her away.

 

Seungwan personally feels like her client is getting ruder and ruder with every meeting, but she wouldn’t ever say it to his face. In any business, the customer is always right.

 

She opens the office doors to leave and comes face-to-face with a tall woman staring down at her with a frown on her face. “What were you two talking about?” Joy asks. “Who’s Mina?”

 

*

 

“Are you kidding me?” Yeri shouts over the phone at a quiet Joohyun. “You rejected Seungwan?”

 

“I didn’t _reject_ her,” Joohyun retorts with a pout. “I just asked for some time to think.”

 

“That’s basically a rejection, Joohyun,” Yeri fires back. “What happened? Are you not interested in her any more? Were any of her actions actually, like, a huge turn-off for you?”

 

Joohyun shakes her head in denial. In fact, Seungwan had been nothing but considerate and polite throughout their first date, but something had prevented Joohyun from agreeing to meet her again. It was that same feeling that nags at her now, and she recalls the woman’s odd behaviours during their date. “I don’t know, Yeri,” she muses. “Something just… didn’t feel right.”

 

She hears someone call Yeri’s name in the background, creating a crackle of static. “They’re calling you, right? You should go.”

 

“Yeah, it looks like filming’s starting soon, sorry.” Before Yeri hangs up, however, she offers Joohyun a piece of advice. “Find out what felt off about Seungwan, because a woman’s intuition is hardly ever wrong. Be careful, Joohyun.”

 

After their call ends, Joohyun heads downstairs to open her laundromat for the day. Flipping over the ‘closed’ sign on the door to ‘open’, she then starts turning on all the laundry machines and fills them with customers’ clothes. Perching on her stool by the counter, she begins to daydream about Seungwan while the washers whirr noisily around her.

 

“Um, excuse me?” Joohyun shakes away the fog from her brain, looking up at a rather well-dressed man with boyish good looks. “Sorry, but are you the owner of this shop?” She nods. 

 

“Oh, excellent!” The man exclaims, beaming widely. “I’ve just moved in and haven’t had time to sort everything out, and I needed to find somewhere to wash all the laundry that’s been piling up.”

 

“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Joohyun spreads her arms out in a rather proud demonstration of her sleek contraptions. “This is a laundromat, after all.” Standing on her tiptoes, she peeks over the counter at the floor next to her potential customer. “I… don’t see any laundry with you today?”

 

“Ah, yes,” he scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “I didn’t actually bring any with me today, since I just came out for a walk. But I will bring them next time.” He sticks out his hand. “I’m Taek, by the way.”

 

Joohyun shakes his hand, inwardly surprised at how large his hands are compared to hers. “I’m Joohyun, nice to meet you.” This entire conversation is giving her a sense of déjà vu, as if this exact situation had played out not too long ago with someone else.

 

Taek continues to shake her hand, an affable smile on his face, and making Joohyun quite uncomfortable. She tries to wrestle her hand away from his, but his grip is too tight although his face and hands show no sign of strain. “My hand hurts,” she squeaks, but he either doesn’t hear her or chooses not to.

 

“Excuse me!” A familiar, loud voice erupts from the doorway. “Whoever you are, get your grubby hands off her!” 

 

A flicker of annoyance flits across Taek’s face before he lets go. “Terribly sorry about that. I’ll see you next time then, Joohyun.” The calm smile returns to his face as he takes his leave, nodding towards the newcomer on his way out.

 

“Haven’t I seen him before?” the blue-haired woman mutters to herself as she glares at his retreating back. Turning towards Joohyun, she rearranges her expression to form a pleasant smile. “Hey, Joohyun.”

 

“Seungwan, what are you doing here?” Joohyun asks, eyeing the woman’s baggy, loose sweatpants. “I mean, not that it’s a bad thing, but I thought you’d be at work today, since it’s a weekday.”

 

Seungwan hums in agreement. “That’s true, but since I occasionally work from home, I wanted to come out for a walk, breathe in some fresh air.” She grins at Joohyun. “Want to take a walk with me?”

 

“I just opened shop, Seungwan.” Joohyun huffs, propping her chin on one hand. “I can’t just leave now.”

 

“Then let me accompany you so you don’t get bored,” Seungwan says, smoothly inviting herself to stay. She paces around the shop in silence, curiously peeking through the translucent covers of the washing machines as if looking for something of interest.

 

Joohyun watches her with mild amusement. She’s surprised that Seungwan didn’t ask any more questions, especially about their conversation last night. It seems like her first impression of the woman is quite accurate: warm, not too overbearing, and really quite comfortable to be with. At the same time, she’s keeping Yeri’s cautionary advice in mind, but she realises that if she wants to know why something about Seungwan felt off that day, she needs to get closer to the woman.

 

“Seungwan,” she softly calls.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’ve thought about it.” Joohyun’s vague and random statement confuses Seungwan for a few moments before her face lights up with memory of context. Seungwan nods excitedly, gesturing for Joohyun to continue. Joohyun takes in a deep breath, then says: “Let’s go out on a date tomorrow.”

 

The joy on Seungwan’s face is unmistakable, and she pumps her fist in the air victoriously. Skipping over to Joohyun, Seungwan reaches her hand out and extends a pinky. “Really? Promise?” 

 

Looking at Seungwan’s earnest, hopeful expression, Joohyun doesn’t hesitate to link their little fingers together. “Promise.”

 

*

 

In the privacy of Joy’s office, Seulgi looks over her laptop at her boss who is listlessly staring into space at her desk. “Weren’t you going to meet Miss Joohyun today?” Her question is met with silence. Concerned, she stands up and approaches Joy, leaning in and placing a hand on her friend’s forehead. “You’re not sick, are you?”

 

“Seulgi…” Joy grabs Seulgi’s wrist. “Am I a bad person?”

 

Confused, Seulgi shakes her head. “No, why? Did something happen?”

 

“Seul, I think the whole world’s against me. My father hates me, I can’t do what I like, and now there’s someone called Park Mina that he’s looking for, and just… nothing’s going my way.” Joy looks up at Seulgi blankly. “Why does the world hate me so much?”

 

Seulgi sighs and draws Joy into an embrace, patting her back soothingly. She doesn’t know who this Park Mina is and why Joy is so worried about said person, but she doesn’t think this is the right time to ask. _Looks like even children of the rich have their problems_ , she thinks to herself.

 

Out loud, she says: “The world doesn’t hate you, Sooyoung. And even if it does, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to fight back, right?” She glances down at Joy and on impulse plants a kiss on the crown of her head.

 

Her sudden action causes Joy to jolt in her seat, a reddish blush spreading across her cheeks as she pries herself apart from Seulgi. She covers her face with a hand and averts her gaze. “Uh… yeah, you’re right.” Her eyes dart towards Seulgi, who is now gazing at her with an amused smirk. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

 

Seulgi raises her eyebrows and gives a noncommittal shrug. “Anyway, I think we should go meet Yeri and Joohyun and discuss your dream job.” She offers Joy an inviting hand. “Shall we?”

 

*

 

On the way to Joohyun’s shop, Joy shifts in her seat on the passenger’s side to look at Seulgi. Her stare unnerves Seulgi, making her fidget. “What?” She steals a quick glance at Joy. “Do I have something on my face?”

 

“About last night…” Joy starts tentatively.

 

Seulgi winces at the tone of her voice. “Why are you making it sound like something scandalous happened last night?” she whines.

 

Joy snickers and leans in, too close for Seulgi’s comfort, and whispers, “Are you sure?” Then, as quickly as she had leaned in, she moves back to her original position. “I’m talking about the sketches on your wall. I didn’t know you could draw like that.”

 

Seulgi laughs humourlessly as she drives, unsurprised. “You barely know anything about me, Sooyoung,” she mutters as she pulls up in front of their destination. Joy looks over towards Seulgi at her sudden dispassionate comment, but says nothing.

 

As the two get out of the car, Joy spots a woman with distinctively blue-tinged hair cheerily leaving the laundromat. She narrows her eyes, faintly recognising the departing woman. “Isn’t that Wendy?”

 

“Hm?” Seulgi hums inquisitively, back to her amicable self. “Who?”

 

“Wendy,” Joy says, pursing her lips in distrust. “My father’s new secretary, or whoever the hell she claims she is.” 

 

She hesitates for barely a second before calling out: “Wendy!”

 

The woman freezes and slowly looks over her shoulder. Her eyes widen at the sight of Joy, and she hurriedly throws the hood of her sweater over her head before scurrying away. “Isn’t that suspicious,” Seulgi murmurs. She thinks she might have seen the woman called Wendy before, but doesn’t quite recall.

 

“Something weird is going on, Seulgi,” Joy says. “That woman had better not be acquainted with Joohyun and Yeri, because if she is, then I have a feeling something really bad is going to happen.”


	8. Chapter 8

 

_I once feared the cloying scent_   
_Of flowers at funerals_   
_But in old age_   
_It has become a comfortable fragrance._   
_-Anonymous_

 

“Joohyun, do you know Wendy?” is the first thing that comes out of Joy’s mouth when she enters the laundromat. Behind her, Seulgi strolls in, amused at Joy’s straightforwardness.

 

“Wendy?” Joohyun is puzzled, as the name is not one that she recognises. “Who’s that?”

 

“You know, that girl who just walked out of here,” Joy points her thumb over her shoulder. She settles onto a chair and watches Joohyun for any change of expression. The petite woman frowns, furrowing her eyebrows and her lips pulling themselves into a thoughtful pout.

 

“You mean Seungwan?” Joohyun asks, confused, and grabs Joy’s wrist. “Why? What’s wrong?”

 

“Do you know what Wendy - I mean, Seungwan, does for a living?”

 

Joohyun folds her arms over her chest. “Hey, why are you asking me all these things suddenly? If you want to know something, you should ask the person herself.” Seulgi nods in agreement; Joohyun makes a fair point. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

 

Joy scratches the back of her neck sheepishly. “Well, I originally came to talk about Yeri and the entertainment business,” she admits.

 

Joohyun laughs, a sharp exhalation of amusement. “Joy, I run a laundry service,” she says, gesturing towards their surroundings at all the washing machines and clothes racks in the shop. “What would I know about entertainment?”

 

She catches a glimpse of Joy’s downcast expression and smiles gently. “You’re really interested in joining that industry, aren’t you? I’ll tell Yeri that you wanted to talk to her, so you two can meet up at another time to talk.” After saying this, she pulls Joy closer to her, tiptoeing to pat the taller woman’s head. “Sorry I couldn’t help, but I’ll support you however else I can.”

 

Joohyun’s natural motherliness nearly brings Joy to tears, and she hurriedly wraps the small woman in a hug before Joohyun can notice the tears brimming in her eyes. A few paces behind them, Seulgi’s phone silently vibrates in her pocket. Discreetly taking her phone out, she reads the on-screen notification.

 

**From: Mr Park’s Secretary**

**“The CEO wants to see Sooyoung as soon as possible.”**

 

“Joy, we have to go. Your father wants to see you,” Seulgi says, tucking her phone back into her pocket and jerking her head towards the door.

 

“Ugh, why?” Joy whines, but reluctantly separates herself from Joohyun. “Thanks for the support,” she whispers gratefully. Before leaving, she stops to warn Joohyun. “Be careful of Wendy, or Seungwan, whatever she calls herself. She’s not who you think she is.”

 

When the duo has left, Joohyun sits alone in her shop, and her head begins to fill with thoughts of meeting Seungwan again. “But why is everyone telling me to be careful of her?”

 

*

 

“Amber, something seems really fishy.” Seungwan is still hung up on the man that she met at Joohyun’s laundromat, convinced that he was the same person that she had bumped into at her client’s office. “At first, I thought that he was another businessman who knew my client, but not only did he appear again near Joohyun, he was basically harassing her. What if he’s related to this case?”

 

Over the phone, Amber heaves a sigh. “Wendy, you’re thinking too much into this. Sure, him making her uncomfortable is obviously not right, but he could really just be another customer.”

 

For Joohyun’s sake, Seungwan wishes Amber is right, and that her concerns are only a result of her paranoia.

 

After their call, she lies in bed, staring at the black screen of her phone. Her fingers itch to dial Joohyun’s number, but she realises that the woman may not be too keen on connecting a call at two in the morning. Sleep would probably be the best option, she thinks, but she is too awake for any sort of rest. 

 

“In that case,” Seungwan sits up and grabs her laptop, “I should do a bit more work. The sooner I close this case, the better.” _And maybe it’ll get my mind off that suspicious guy from the office_ , she thinks hopefully.

 

*

 

The next day, Joohyun watches boredly as the whole of her morning and afternoon crawls by at a snail’s pace. The customer from yesterday, Taek, has yet to return to her shop despite his previous claims of laundry piling up. Throughout opening hours at most ten people pop by, either to pick up their clean clothes or just to give a friendly greeting. Joohyun even finds herself wishing that Seungwan would suddenly appear like the day before to accompany her. At least, she thinks, she wouldn’t be this bored.

 

This may perhaps be the reason why, when Joohyun looks out her door and spots a motorcycle - Seungwan’s, no doubt - appearing from one end of the street, she immediately does a little dance of joy. Her spontaneous action makes herself embarrassed, and Joohyun dashes back into her store, arranging herself in a presentable manner behind the counter.

 

When the door of her laundromat swings open, Joohyun’s head immediately jerks upward with a big grin. Seungwan laughs, pleasantly surprised, as she walks through the door with her helmet tucked under one arm. “What’s with that look on your face? Are you really that happy to see me?” she teases.

 

Joohyun sticks her tongue out and wipes the grin off her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She walks towards Seungwan and pats her helmet. “Wait outside for me. I’m just going to lock up the store and change into some nicer clothes upstairs.”

 

Seungwan quick glances at Joohyun, dressed in a loose sweater and jeans. “Why? You look fine to me.”

 

Joohyun shakes her head, though she is secretly delighted with the woman’s statement. “Just wait, okay?”

 

While Seungwan stands patiently by the entrance to Joohyun’s home, resting her helmet on her stomach, she looks around, observing as passers-by make their way to and from their workplaces and nearby public transport stations. As she watches people walk by, from the corner of her eye she spots a familiar face, and jerks up from her relaxed position. Her head turns and she squints to take a proper look, but the face is gone. 

 

“What’s wrong?” Joohyun’s voice asks from behind Seungwan.

 

“Nothing. Just thought I saw someone…” Seungwan turns around and beams at her date. Clad in a striped, long-sleeved shirt and short skirt, Joohyun stares up at her inquisitively. “...And that someone is you. How is it possible for you to be this pretty?”

 

Joohyun rolls her eyes, scoffing at Seungwan’s cheesiness, and grabs the helmet. “Where are we going today, then?”

 

*

 

Joy sits and stares ahead, blank-faced and unresponsive, as her father glowers at her. “Are you going to be like this forever?” he thunders, hands at his hips as he towers over her. “You wasted my time at the office, and now you still don’t want to talk. How dare you act like this with your own father?”

 

Joy’s mother, Mrs. Park, stands between the duo as she tries to calm her husband down, though her attempts to assuage his temper are futile. “Please, stop,” she places a hand on his arm, then turns to her daughter. “Why are you two arguing all the time?”

 

“Did you hear your mother? Park Sooyoung!” The CEO roars, his chest heaving.

 

“Mom, instead of that, shouldn’t you be asking why this man is so angry in the first place?” Joy breaks her bout of silence and glares at her father, who splutters, shocked, at her impertinence. “Dearest father, wouldn’t you agree? Sure, let’s talk, starting from Park Mina.”

 

“Park Mina?” Joy’s mother frowns and looks, confused, at her husband. “Who’s that?”

 

The CEO blanches at the name and smiles awkwardly at his wife. “No one important, dear. Sooyoung, let’s talk in private, just the two of us.”

 

Joy sits resolutely in her chair, refusing to move. “Why can’t we talk in front of mom? Could it be that you’re hiding something from her?” Her mother’s eyes widen at the question, and she stares at the CEO accusingly. 

 

Before he can form a coherent answer, Joy rattles on: “Actually, yes, I’m in the mood to talk right now. I just have _so many questions_ , like who Wendy really is, because I’m pretty sure she’s not your _secretary_ , is she? And why exactly did you want to meet me today? Is it because I accidentally overheard your conversation with Wendy?” High from adrenaline, her voice rises in pitch and volume until Joy is standing and nearly shouting in her father’s face.

 

Just as fast as she had stood, Joy plops back into her seat again with a great amount of theatric flair. “Wouldn’t you like to know what I’m talking about, Mom?” she asks, even-tempered as before, a Cheshire grin plastered on her face.

 

“As a matter of fact, I think I really would.” Joy’s mother takes a seat next to her daughter, waiting for an explanation. The CEO can only gape, defeated and at a loss for words, and waves the two curious women away. 

 

Joy, one; Joy’s father, zero.

 

After that successful confrontation, Joy retires to her room, where she quickly sends a text to Seulgi informing her of her latest accomplishment against the CEO. Barely a few minutes later, she receives a message in return. In it is a picture of Seungwan, Joohyun, and Seulgi, accompanied by a caption explaining that the latter had bumped into the couple while she was out for dinner. 

 

Although she felt nothing amiss, Seulgi had later noticed another man leering at the couple as they were paying the bill. Not long after Seungwan and Joohyun left, that same man paid his bill and left in a hurry. Seulgi had a hunch that he was going to tail them. “I’m following him now,” she informs Joy.

 

“Good. Keep me informed,” Joy replies, pauses, then tacks on a little “be careful” at the end. _And now, we wait._

 

*

 

Seungwan and Joohyun stroll past rows of restaurants and boutiques, lit up with multicoloured lights and decorated with eye-catching, flashing lights. Their hands are awkwardly hovering, nearly touching, as they converse.

 

“Who knew we were going to meet Seulgi there?” Seungwan quips, marveling at Seulgi’s ability to recognise people from across a large room, making Joohyun chuckle. 

 

“It’s kind of odd seeing Seulgi without Joy. They’re together so often it’s as if they move as a unit.”

 

The name is too familiar to Seungwan, and she frowns and stares at Joohyun. “Joy?

 

“Oh yeah, you two haven’t met yet. Remember when Seulgi came to my shop a while back to pick Yeri up for a photoshoot, and she was accompanied by someone waiting outside?” Seungwan nods. “Well, that’s Joy. Seulgi is Joy’s secretary, so they’re almost always together.” 

 

A motherly smile spreads across Joohyun’s face. “She may seem quite brusque at first, but she’s really quite okay.”

 

Seungwan reels, horrified. What were the chances of everyone in this large city of Seoul knowing each other? And to top it off, the daughter of her client may possibly be friends with the woman she suspects is the person her client is looking for. If she weren’t with Joohyun, she would have been clutching her head with frustration right now.

 

It is almost as if she’s in some kind of ridiculous television show, like those overly dramatic soaps that they show on weekends.

 

Seungwan hastily redirects their conversation to a different topic, asking the first question that comes to her head. “Say, you haven’t mentioned your parents before. What do they do?”

 

Joohyun laughs a little laugh, one that is void of humour but full of bitter contempt. “I don’t have parents. They died a long time ago in a fire.”

 

“H-how long ago was that? Were you in the building with them? Were you hurt?” Seungwan asks urgently as she pulls Joohyun aside and starts checking her for any injuries.

 

“Seungwan, I’m fine, it’s been years since then,” Joohyun stops Seungwan’s hands from roaming and holds them in hers. “There’s no need to get you so worked up.”

 

A throaty chuckle sounds from behind Joohyun. “There is a very legitimate reason for her to react this way, Joohyun. For all we know, you might just be the person she’s looking for. Am I right, Wendy?” A man walks towards them with a wide, cunning Cheshire grin on his face; this is the same man that Seungwan recognises from her client’s office and from Joohyun’s shop.

 

Seungwan asks “Who are you?” at the same time Joohyun gasps “Taek?”. The name triggers a memory for Seungwan; she recognises it as a codename that one of the higher-ups from her company often uses. But why would her workplace senior be here, unless… 

 

This could only mean trouble for Seungwan. She grabs Joohyun’s hand, wanting to pull her away from Taek. To her surprise, Joohyun pulls her hand back, taking a step away from her and towards Taek. “You’re… Wendy?”

 

“Joohyun, get away from him. He’s dangerous,” Seungwan warns, wary. She reaches out again to take Joohyun’s hand, but flinches when her date shoves her hand away.

 

“Why is Taek dangerous? What’s he talking about?” Joohyun demands answers that Seungwan cannot give.

 

Taek steps in, his impish smirk growing by the second. “Let me tell you what I know, shall I? She’s been hired by a certain client to look for someone. Someone with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity called Park Mina, and she-” he points to Seungwan “-thinks that she’s found her target, which is you.” He redirects his pointing finger towards Joohyun, then angles a winning stare towards Seungwan.

 

“Aren’t I correct?”

 

Seungwan cannot refute the statement, and Joohyun stares at her, hurt. “So you’re doing this because of work? You asking me out on these dates… it was just for work?”

 

“No, no! I mean, yes, kind of, but…” Seungwan looks at her, eyes pleading. “Joohyun, please don’t believe him.”

 

“And why not? It makes sense now! Now I know why Joy told me to be careful of you. You’re a _liar_!” Joohyun steps up and slaps Seungwan, hard, tears brimming in her eyes. “I never want to see you again, so don’t ever come back to my shop.”

 

Joohyun turns on her heel and marches off, fuming. Taek sticks his hands in his pockets and grins a devilish grin at Seungwan, then follows after Joohyun, leaving Seungwan to stare after them, defeated.


	9. Chapter Nine

 

_The lovesick,_   
_the betrayed,_   
_and the jealous_   
_all smell alike._   
_-Sidonie Gabrielle Colette_

 

Joohyun’s hands are balled into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tries not to let her emotions burst from within her. How could Seungwan betray her like this, investigating her for work purposes under the pretense of asking her out for dates and acting, well, romantically interested in her? 

 

The more she thinks about it, the angrier she becomes. But Seungwan is not the only recipient of her fury, as Joohyun begins to question herself as well. She should have heeded her friends’ warnings, she thinks. Frustrated, thoughts whirl like hurricanes through her head until she reaches reaches the staircase to her house. 

 

Hearing a soft whistling behind her, Joohyun whirls around, the look in her eyes murderous. Taek freezes, a few paces behind her, and cracks a little smile. “What do you want? Why are you following me?” she asks.

 

“Just making sure you get home safely. Aren’t you glad you found out the truth, that Wendy was lying to you this whole time?”

 

“No, _fuck you_. You’ve caused enough problems today already,” Joohyun snaps, crossing her arms in annoyance. “How did you even know all this stuff about Seungwan? Who are you?”

 

Taken aback by Joohyun’s ferocity, Taek instinctively raises his hands in front of him in defense. “I’m just a simple businessman who happened to overhear certain conversations.” His explanation does not convince Joohyun in the slightest, but she is too tired to try and hold a conversation with him. 

 

“Sure, okay, whatever. Look, whoever you really are, you shouldn’t have outed Seungwan - or Wendy, whatever - like that.”

 

“But-” Taek starts to protest, but Joohyun cuts him off.

 

“No buts. I know what she did was wrong, and I am more than furious at her for that, but you did not have the right to do that At. All.” Joohyun starts up the steps, then turns around to glare at Taek again. “Now go away, or else I _will_ call the police.”

 

She storms into her house upstairs and slams the door shut, loud enough to make Taek jump a little. He blinks and smirks, amused, gazing up at the window above the laundromat. “She’s a feisty one, all right,” he mutters to himself before stalking away.

 

*

 

“I knew it!” Joy crows victoriously over the phone before she catches herself. “Damn, I knew my instincts had to be right. What happened after that?”

 

“I’m not sure what Seungwan did after the confrontation, but I believe she would have gone home. I continued to follow the man - his name is Taek - back to Joohyun’s house, where she got angry at him and ranted a little bit, then separated.” Seulgi is whispering, and the action baffles Joy.

 

“So Joohyun’s safe, that’s good. Also, why are you whispering?” she asks.

 

“Well, it just so happens that, um, we’re at the same bus stop, and I think it’s really important that he doesn’t realise that I know about him and Joohyun and Seungwan.”

 

Joy finds herself halfway out the door, car keys already in hand. “The guy’s dangerous, Seulgi, and he might have noticed you following him!” she exclaims. “Stay there! Where are you? I’m going to get you.”

 

Seulgi chuckles, amused. “What’s gotten into you?” she asks, but gives Joy the information she needs anyway.

 

Her question makes Joy pause; it was purely on instinct that Joy had decided to make her way to Seulgi, a sudden surge of protectiveness upon hearing that someone like Seulgi could be potentially in danger by following such a suspicious character. She brushes it off, chalking it up to the fact that the woman being the closest and most precious friend she has.

 

Which totally rationalises why she is driving at a speed slightly faster than necessary, she assures herself, and also explains the overwhelming relief when she finds Seulgi waiting for her at the bus stop unharmed. And Joy feels her heart leap, a bit more than she would readily admit, when a grin spreads across Seulgi’s face when she notices Joy’s car.

 

Joy smirks when Seulgi slides onto her car seat, face shining with a mixture of adrenaline and accomplishment. “Someone looks happy,” Joy teases as she shifts her car back into a lane. 

 

 Seulgi turns to look at her, eyes shining with glee. “Wouldn’t you be, too?”

 

“I was,” Joy easily admits. “Still am, and even better to know that he didn’t find out you were following them.”

 

Seulgi laughs, brushes a hand over Joy’s. “It’s so not you to say something like that, but… thanks for the concern.” She finishes that with an uncharacteristic giggle, and has Joy looking over at her with a bemused expression.

 

“Now it’s my turn to ask. What’s gotten into you?”

 

“To be really honest, it’s the first time seeing you be concerned about someone else’s life other than your own. It’s quite a refreshing change, you know.” Joy is taken by surprise by Seulgi’s off-hand comment, but doesn’t let it show.

“Well, never too late to start, right?” Joy shoots another grin at Seulgi. “For Joohyun’s sake, let’s see what we else we can learn about this Taek person, then.”

 

*

 

Seungwan storms towards the towering skyscraper that houses both offices and a large shopping mall, altogether owned by one singular businessman. It just so happens, she thinks as she strides in with hands balled into angry fists, that this businessman has chosen to get on the wrong side of her.

 

She elbows her way past the secretary standing guard and, flinging the doors to her client’s office open, charges in with fire in her eyes. And runs straight into a private meeting between CEO Park and Taek. The latter is all smiles as he crosses his legs neatly. “Wendy, can we help you with something?”

 

“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” she snarls at Taek. 

 

He sighs like an elementary school teacher with a well of patience lecturing an impudent child and shakes his head. “You shouldn’t be talking to your superior like that, Wendy, don’t you think so?” He gestures to the CEO. “We were just having a little discussion about, well, your job capabilities.”

 

“More importantly,” CEO Park adds, “Taek here has also explained why the information you supply to me is severely lacking.” He sneers derisively and throws a photograph onto his table. “You’ve got a romantic interest in this Joohyun girl, haven’t you?”

 

Seungwan grits her teeth. “Such trivialities wouldn’t stop me from doing my job, sir. I have no evidence to prove that Joohyun is your daughter, and so I would rather not jump to any conclusions.”

 

Taek chuckles now, a full-bodied laugh laced with dark satisfaction, and casually gestures at Seungwan to sit down. When she remains standing, he shrugs, not caring any less. “Suit yourself. If you’d rather be fired standing up, that’s fine by me.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

Now the CEO rises from his seat. “We have decided to take you off the case,” he informs her. “Taek here has taken up my case instead, as we both find your performance rather displeasing.”

 

“Sir, with all due respect.” Seungwan manages a shaky laugh in disbelief. “You can’t just… No. Just give me one more chance, and I swear I’ll provide you with some very good information.”

 

Taek cracks a grin. “Oh? And how about your adorable romantic relationship with the lovely Joohyun?” He enunciates the word ‘lovely’ in a tone that makes Seungwan want to punch him.

 

Directing her statement to her client, she says, “I don’t have any romantic relationship with her, sir, not since a fiasco occurred due to a certain someone” - she glares daggers at Taek - “and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want to meet me even as an acquaintance. 

 

You’re right. I did fancy Joohyun, once. But now I’d like to close this case as soon as possible, and the best way I can do that is to get evidence that would either solidify or remove any ideas or conceptions.”

 

In front of her, both men exchange glances. “Very well.” CEO Park steeples his fingers as he settles back in his seat. “This is your last chance. I want to see solid evidence in no more than two days.”

 

Outside the office, Seungwan bares her teeth at Taek. He naturally deflects her resentment with a flick of his wrist, as if swatting away an insignificant fly. He leans down, bringing his face close to Seungwan’s to read her mind. “You’re doing this for her, too. You want to prove that she isn’t his daughter.”

 

Seungwan sneers at him now. “Wow, congratulations, you figured it out. Do you want a trophy?” She jabs a finger into his chest. “After this case is done, I’m going to hand in my resignation. I can’t stand to work under someone like you.” She strides away, taking the elevator down alone.

 

Taek stares after her, amused. “Such an interesting woman,” he murmurs to himself. “Truly, what a pity…”

 

*

 

Joohyun fiddles with the hem of her skirt as she waits for her friend to stop pacing. How can someone so young contain so much fury?, she marvels. She begins to open her mouth, to tell Yeri to stop pacing and sit down because Joohyun herself is tired from watching her move, but the bell over the door rings before she gets the chance.

 

She considers herself lucky when Yeri stops to glare at the intruder, her brown hair - dyed in a close imitation to Joohyun’s - tied up in a ponytail that swished when she walks. Her hands grip at her hips like claws, straining not to lash out and poke someone’s eye out. Joohyun shifts her body, leaning to one side so she can warn her customer.

 

Joohyun would never admit that she does miss, just ever so slightly, seeing the sea-blue hair that she had gotten used to, or those pretty features of Seungwan’s that she would sneak a glance at. Her heart sinks when she realises that she does still feel something for the woman who betrayed her trust.

 

“Seungwan…”

 

“ _Seungwan_.” Yeri growls the name in a way that sends shivers down Joohyun’s spine. “You actually have the nerve to come back here.”

 

“Ah, Yeri.” Seungwan attempts a smile, her words coming out nervous and shaky. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

 

“And I’d really like it to stay that way, thanks,” Yeri snaps as she continues to stand in Joohyun’s direct line of sight. “What do you want?” Seungwan becomes aware of the fact that the young woman is at least subconsciously acting as a shield for her friend.  

 

“I just wanted to apologise.” Seungwan takes a tentative step towards Joohyun, but Yeri moves to intercept.

 

“She doesn’t want your damn apology, Seungwan. Get the hell out of this shop.”

 

“Yeri…” Joohyun’s soft voice takes the edge out of Yeri’s sharp order. “I’m right here, and I can talk for myself. Don’t worry.”

 

Addressing Seungwan now, she props her arms up on the counter where she is sat at. “Can I help you with anything, miss?” Seungwan winces at Joohyun’s use of the distant title; she’d rather face Yeri’s wrath than the cold disassociation that Joohyun is currently channeling. 

 

Well, she thinks, two can play this cruel game.

 

She moves directly to the counter, to Joohyun, neatly maneuvering herself around Yeri. “Yes, I don’t suppose I could deposit some of my laundry here and come pick it up another time?” Seungwan slides her hands across the countertop casually, and the gesture sends Joohyun shifting back.

 

The silence hurts Joohyun’s ears. “I’m afraid not, miss.” Her tone is stubbornly polite. “And I hope you’ll leave soon, as you’re currently taking up my time.” She moves to direct Seungwan to the door.

 

“Joohyun.” Seungwan moves quickly, grabbing Joohyun by the hand. It breaks Seungwan’s heart when Joohyun flinches, as if someone had hit her. In a flash, Yeri shoves herself between them and pushes Seungwan away. 

 

She raises her fists, assuming a fighting stance. Her message is clear: _if you want Joohyun, you’ll have to go through me_.

 

Seungwan backs away, hands up in surrender. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Take care of her now, Yeri.” She makes the mistake of glancing back at Joohyun, into those eyes filled with bitter sadness, and has to force herself to open the door when all she wants is to take Joohyun into her arms and offer endless apologies. 

 

Seungwan tears her gaze away, resolutely staring outside. “Goodbye, Joohyun.”

 

As she walks towards her parked motorcycle, she fingers the few strands of hair she palmed from the countertop, rubs them between her thumb and index finger. She takes her handphone out from a pocket and makes a call. “I’m coming in with the DNA sample. Send a copy of the results to the CEO, and another copy to me.”

 

For the first time since that confrontation with Taek, Seungwan manages to summon an authentic grin, eager to get this over and done with.

 

*

 

The only truly good thing about being a private investigator is, in Seungwan’s opinion, the speed at which certain things get done, a fact reiterated when she receives the results of the paternity test in her mailbox two mornings later. She had already tendered her resignation letter to her agency yesterday, and so opened the envelope with a light and unburdened heart.

 

Seungwan has already planned what to do after opening her envelope. First, she would grab her phone and call Joohyun to apologise and tell her that she had decided to drop the case, and say that she knew there was no way Joohyun could have been the CEO’s daughter. If that didn’t work, she’d run over to Joohyun’s shop and beg for forgiveness, and if _that_ didn’t work, at least Seungwan would know that Joohyun would be safe and not bothered by Taek.

 

She skim-reads through most of the paper, its contents filled with scientific jargon that she does not bother to understand. After all, she knows that the most important section is at the very bottom. Her eyes fixate on the double-digit percentage and its conclusive result, and her hands exert a great and forceful grip on the paper until her fingers tear holes in it. Life, she thinks as she dashes out madly, certainly enjoys playing with her.

 

**The results of this DNA test show that there is a 99.5% probability that Park Joong Won is the father of _(surname unknown)_ Joohyun.**


	10. Chapter Ten

 

_To die is as if one's eyes had been put out and one cannot see anything any more.  
Perhaps it is like being shut in a cellar.   
One is abandoned by all.   
They have slammed the door and are gone.   
One does not see anything and notices only the damp smell of putrefaction._   
_-Edvard Munch_

 

Seungwan runs through the streets, jostling past pedestrians as she makes her way to Joohyun’s laundromat. She hears passers-by mutter grouchy comments every time she pushes them aside, but at a time like this, one’s public image is nothing to be concerned about. The only thought that races through her mind is of Joohyun. Is she safe, or has Taek already gotten to her? Even as she runs, Seungwan shivers; the image of Taek trying to do anything to Joohyun is too terrible to imagine.

 

As she rounds the corner of the block where Joohyun’s laundromat is situated, her footsteps slow when she sees someone enter the shop. She approaches hurriedly, trying to identify the license plate of the car parked in front of the laundromat. To her relief, she recognises the car, and is filled with relief knowing that it does not belong to Taek. Instead, it belongs to someone else who would probably murder her if they met, which is why Seungwan takes extra care when she peeks through the laundromat’s window. 

 

Inside, she sees Yeri deep in conversation with Joy, their hands making wild gestures as they talk animatedly. Seungwan spots Joohyun puttering around the shop, and her eyes follow the woman until her line of sight is blocked by a pair of jean-clad legs. Her gaze shifts upward; she makes eye contact with Seulgi who is leaning on the window and shooting her a questioning look through the corner of her eye. 

 

Seungwan shifts back as she waves awkwardly to Seulgi. She changes her stance, prepared to bolt when needed, but Seulgi just puts a finger to her lips and gives the subtlest shake of the head. “Joy, I’m going to grab some coffee! You want anything?” Seulgi asks loudly enough for Seungwan to hear.

 

Joy shouts out a long and complicated order that Seungwan misses completely. When Seulgi turns to Joohyun to ask the same question, Seungwan nearly laughs. “She doesn’t drink coffee,” she mutters under her breath, and smirks when she sees Joohyun shake her head at the question. 

 

“Haven’t seen you in a while.” Seungwan turns to look at Seulgi who steps out of the laundromat and gestures at her to follow. “Let’s go get some coffee.”

 

*

 

While the duo wait for their drinks to be prepared at a nearby cafe, Seulgi eyes Seungwan with wry amusement. “So what are you doing here? I’m pretty sure Joohyun told you very clearly not to ever come and see her again.”

 

Seungwan winces involuntarily and looks away. “I need to warn her,” she confesses, spilling information about Taek and the DNA test in one long breath. Seulgi listens attentively, only interrupting to ask questions and clarify the current situation. When Seungwan finally finishes telling her story, she looks back up timidly at her companion. “It sounds weird and not that believable, I know, but…”

 

Seulgi shakes her head. “No, I believe you. Just need some time to process and think about what to do.” She bites her lip and leans on a wall, her eyes darting back and forth as the gears in her brain churn. When their orders are called out, both of them reach for their wallets to pay.

 

“It’s on me,” Seungwan offers.

 

Seulgi looks at her for a while, then nods. “Yeah, okay. After all the grief you’re bringing into Joohyun’s life, paying for drinks balances it out a little bit.”

 

As they walk back, cups of various drinks in hand, Seulgi glances at Seungwan. The shorter woman’s eyes are filled with worry and guilt, and in all honesty, Seulgi does feel a little bad for her. She reaches out to pat Seungwan’s shoulder in sympathy, but hesitates when she hears someone clear their throat in front of them. She grimaces when she sees Joy staring at them with narrowed eyes, arms crossed in front of her chest, and raises her hands to explain.

 

“So that’s why you were taking so long, huh?” Joy strides forward and grabs her drink from the cup holder that Seulgi is carrying. She spares Seungwan an apathetic glance, one eyebrow raised; Seungwan remembers the expression as one that Joy seems to always carry whenever they are together. “And what do you want?”

 

Seulgi whispers something into Joy’s ear, and when she draws back, the latter angles another exasperated glare at Seungwan. “Wow. I didn’t realise you could make things any worse, but apparently you could.” Joy flashes a sarcastic thumbs up at her, then jabs a finger into the middle of Seungwan’s chest. “Do us all a favour and never come back, will you? We’ll take care of Joohyun.” With a flip of her hair, Joy strides off.

 

When Seulgi is sure that she is out of earshot, she leans down to whisper to Seungwan. “I’ll update you if anything happens, so don’t worry.” Seungwan smiles gratefully and nods, relieved to know that someone is still on her side, and watches as Seulgi walks away. This time, Seungwan thinks, she might actually follow Joohyun and Joy’s orders, and not meddle any further lest things take a turn for the worse.

 

*

 

Barely two days later, Joohyun stares as Yeri hauls a pair of suitcases up the stairs to her house. “Yeri, it’s five a.m.”

 

Yeri’s head snaps up, her eyes burning with spirit as she continues to push her bags up the stairs, not minding when the wheels crack as they hit the steps. “I know.” She heaves the first bag past the doorstep and onto Joohyun’s floor, and the loud noise startles the older woman. Pushing the bag aside, Joohyun quickly helps Yeri with her other suitcase, not wanting her floor to be damaged any further.

 

“Yeri, what are you doing here at five in the morning on a Sunday? You never wake up this early!”

 

Yeri shoots her another glance. “ _I know._ ” She trots down the flight of steps and reaches for a backpack and a pillow so gigantic it could almost be a full-sized beanbag. With a grunt, she squeezes her way up the steps as the pillow in her arms fill up the entire stairwell. Joohyun gapes as the teenager before her finally bursts through the doorframe with inhuman strength and lands perfectly on the pillow, panting. Yeri rolls over onto her back and grins at Joohyun. “Nailed it.”

 

Joohyun sighs and pats Yeri’s head. “I’m sure you did.” Walking towards the refrigerator, she pulls out a bottle of water and tosses it to Yeri. “So why are you suddenly showing up at my house this early in the morning?” she asks, yawning and shoving her messy bed hair away from her face. 

 

“To protect you, of course!” Yeri jumps up and strikes a fighting pose. “Seulgi and Joy told me that-” her voice drops to a lower, deeper sound “-danger is just around the corner. And there is no one else more suited to staying with you 24/7 and making sure you’re okay than me.”

 

Moved, Joohyun moves to grab Yeri in a hug, mussing up her hair in the process. “How did you grow up so fast?” Yeri nuzzles her face into Joohyun’s hair as she tightens her grip on the woman’s pyjama shirt, inhaling her scent.

 

“I’m still a kid, okay.” Yeri’s stomach growls. “A hungry kid.”

 

Joohyun chuckles and draws back to boop Yeri’s nose. “Well, since we’re both awake, we could go get some food at the convenience store nearby.”

 

Yeri nods and pulls away. She shoves her belongings aside and dramatically poses at the door, her eyes scanning the stairwell for any movement. When she thinks the coast is clear, she traipses down the stairs, and at the bottom announces with a salute: “No suspicious activity detected, ma’am! We may proceed with the journey.”

 

Pulling a hoodie over her loose sleeping shirt, Joohyun laughs and makes her way down in a pair of sweatpants and slippers. “With a bodyguard as noisy as you,” she teases as she slips her hand into Yeri’s, “I don’t think anyone will be able to do anything to us.”

 

*

 

For some reason, Seungwan is unable to sleep peacefully tonight, whether it is due to short bouts of insomnia-like moments or strange dreams that disturbingly remind her of the burnt Park Mina. As she jolts awake in her bed for the umpteenth time, a flash of lightning in her window lights up her bedroom. Her forehead is sticky with sweat, and as she swipes a hand over to dry her forehead, the small notification light on her phone begins to blink.

 

A message from Seulgi flashes on-screen. It reads:

“We dropped Joohyun and Yeri off after dinner a few minutes ago. I didn’t see anyone lurking around, but… just thought I should inform you.”

 

Seungwan glances at the time of message delivery, then at the clock displayed in the top right corner of her phone and tries to scrub the sleep off her face. She had passed three hours tossing and turning in her bed, and still she can’t help but feel drained. Her routine has been exactly the same for the past week, zombie-walking around her home and going out only to buy any necessities, and desperately diving for her phone whenever a text notification lights up her screen.

 

Another flash of lightning sets the night sky alight as the sound of thunder begins to drum outside. “Joohyun’s scared of loud sounds,” Seungwan mutters aloud, slightly worried. She throws on a waterproof parka without any thought and runs out into the start of a storm. Water droplets begin to beat a rhythm on her helmet as she swings her leg over her motorbike and rides through the rain to Joohyun’s place.

 

She first notices the curls of smoke, then hears the whispers. Now terrified beyond belief, Seungwan jumps off her motorcycle and runs the rest of the way to the laundromat. A crowd of late night pedestrians have already gathered in front of the building, and it is very obvious why. The entire building spits ambers as orange flames lick up its sides and engulfs the laundromat in perilous heat. Seungwan pushes her way through the crowd, her eyes searching for any sign of life inside. A quick scan tells her the windows upstairs have been blocked, mostly likely by curtains already set aflame. She also notices a small trail of suspiciously viscous liquid leaking from the stairwell and the shop’s door, but her mind is too preoccupied to investigate further.

 

Before she can shout Joohyun’s name, she spots a small figure jogging up from down the street. Joohyun, she realises, her entire body sinking in relief. But she becomes alert again when she sees pure panic in the approaching woman’s eyes.

 

Joohyun stops short at the sight of her burning house, the bags in her hand falling to the ground. Her mouth is agape, and Seungwan can barely make out what she is saying.

 

“Thank god you’re safe, Joohyun!” Seungwan exclaims as she draws near.

 

Joohyun turns those haunted eyes on her. “Yeri,” she breathes. “Yeri’s still inside.”


	11. Chapter Eleven

 

_You have to see and smell and feel the circumstances of people_  
To really understand them.  
-Kamala Harris

 

“Yeri’s still inside.” Joohyun is breathless, panicky, and it takes every single cell in Seungwan’s body not to be in hysterics herself. She dimly hears someone calling the fire department in the background and grips Joohyun’s shoulders with both hands.

 

“Calm down, Joohyun. It’s starting to rain, and the fire department’s on their way here. Yeri will be fine.”

 

Joohyun shakes off her hands and glares daggers at her. “You don’t know that! She may not mean anything to you, but she is everything to me, Seungwan. She is my world, and I’m not just going to wait for help to come and save her, because she might be dead by then!” Her voice crescendos to a shout as she fumes, and with one last disparaging glance at Seungwan runs head-first into the burning building.

 

“Shit!” Seungwan makes a futile grab for Joohyun, completely missing her wrist by a good few inches. How reckless could Joohyun be to run into a burning building, knowing full well that she could possibly develop smoke inhalation symptoms, even death? It makes no sense to Seungwan why she would ever dare to risk her life for another without the possibility of reaping any benefits. But then again, she never really had anyone to bother endangering her life for.

 

Not until Joohyun, at least. Not until the both of them got tangled up in this ridiculous case she took up that, now that she thinks about it, she’s not getting paid for. Then she curses, tugging at her hair in frustration at her idiocy. Stupid!, she mentally berates herself. Joohyun, diagnosed with freaking Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, has the worst reactions to any scent that bears even the slightest resemblance to smoke, and she runs into a burning shophouse without a second thought. And to top it all off, Seungwan let her run in by herself! Just great, Seungwan, what was the use of having a brain and studying so much if you can’t even remember such a simple thing?

 

Seungwan dashes up the stairs to where the fire is brightest, her eyes desperately searching for Joohyun and Yeri as she enters the once-homely living quarters. The wooden floor beneath her feet grows hotter with every second, although she is too worried to notice the difference. “Joohyun!” she shouts as she pushes away rogue bags and furniture. Seungwan hears a hacking cough and whips her head towards the sound, and there she is: Joohyun with sweat-slick skin, leaning against a collapsed roof beam, hair sticking to her neck as she gags and clutches at her throat. 

 

Seungwan quickly makes her way to the woman, and in one deft movement unlocks the clasp on her motorcycle helmet and secures it firmly over Joohyun’s head, lowering the visor to limit the amount of smoke Joohyun breathes in. “I need you to breathe slowly,” she coaxes as she eases Joohyun to the ground. “Don’t panic, just stay calm. Hey, look at me.” Tears spring to Joohyun’s eyes as she forces herself to keep her eyes trained on Seungwan’s face as she tries to slow her breathing.

 

“Okay, good.” Seungwan coughs and brings a hand to her face, covering her nose and mouth. “You need to get out of here. Your sensitivity and this smoke don’t go well together, and it’s going to help no one right now.” She points Joohyun towards the exit and gives her a little push. “Go. I’ll take care of Yeri. Go!”

 

Seungwan stares at Joohyun, making sure the woman is retreating before taking another look around the room. “Yeri!” she yells, and begins to cough again. She crouches, keeping low to try and avoid excess smoke inhalation. Not hearing any response, she gets on all fours and crawls towards the bedroom. A small glimpse of bare feet on the bed is all she needs. Seungwan scrambles up and shakes an unconscious Yeri to no avail. “Shit, Yeri!” The young girl’s chest is barely moving, and Seungwan is afraid she might have breathed in too much smoke already.

 

She tucks one arm under Yeri’s knees and another around her back and hoists her up with great difficulty. Seungwan is beginning to feel weak, her strength sapping with every breath of smoke she takes. She takes heavy footsteps towards the exit and dimly hears the sound of sirens and shouts. About time, she thinks before her knees buckle. Yeri slips out of her grasp just as a firefighter sprints up the stairs. “Over here!” she waves, alerting him to their presence. “I think she might have inhaled too much smoke, and…” 

 

“We got ambulances outside, so we’ll take care of her,” he reassures. “Backup’s already coming up, so stay low and follow me.” He effortlessly scoops Yeri up and makes his way to the door, Seungwan crawling behind him. Just as they are about to reach the exit, a loose roof beam breaks and falls onto Seungwan, rapping her sharply on the side of her head. The sudden loud crack makes the firefighter turn in alarm, his eyes wide. The last thing Seungwan hears before she collapses is the sound of distant footsteps approaching before her world turns black.

 

*

 

Seulgi is speeding down the roads, and for once, Joy doesn’t enjoy the ride. She is too distressed, too distracted to care; her hands clench and unclench as she wills the car to go faster and for all the traffic lights to turn green. Seulgi sneaks a glance at her and places a hand on Joy’s and squeezes as she continues to expertly zoom towards their destination. It had only been a few hours since they had separated from Joohyun and Yeri, and Seulgi certainly did not expect to receive a call at nearly midnight from a nurse via Yeri’s phone informing her about the young girl’s current hospitalisation. 

 

Joy leaps out of the car the moment they arrive at the hospital, and Seulgi joins her the second she parks in front of the building. They burst through the door leading to the A&E, hearts thudding in their throats. “Oh, Seulgi, Joy!” A weak exclamation attracts their attention, and Joy spins towards the sound in blind panic. She sees Joohyun sitting on a bed in the corner of the room dressed in a plain hospital gown, her legs draped over the side with a black helmet resting on a chair next to her. Seulgi notes her complexion, paler than usual, but still carrying enough strength inside her to be able to offer them a shaky smile.

 

“Joohyun, are you okay?” Joy pats her down, fingers searching for any sign of unattended cuts or bruises.

 

“I’m fine, but…” Joohyun bites her lip as her eyes turn downcast.

 

A nurse approaches then, wireless hospital phone in one hand. “Miss, one of the patients you arrived with, a Son Seungwan, is out of the operating theatre. She’s had a grade 2 concussion, which means she might experience symptoms such as confusion or nausea, and possibly even mild memory loss. That, coupled with excessive strain under deoxygenated conditions as well as some minor lacerations on her body, has taken a physical toll on her, and so we would definitely need to hospitalise her for a while. 

 

The other, Kim Yerim, is still undergoing treatment. Although the surgeons don’t expect to see any permanent damage, because of prolonged exposure to fire and smoke, they are suggesting a bronchoscopy to make sure her lungs are still functioning at their full capacity. We need your consent to be able to carry that out as her guardian.”

 

Joohyun hesitates to ask the one question on her mind. She knows it would be best to have the test done, but the thought of handling the cost of surgery and hospital bills makes her falter. “Um… how much would the test cost?” she asks timidly.

 

Seulgi understands Joohyun’s dilemma instantly, and whispers a suggestion into Joy’s ear. “Excuse me,” Joy interrupts, “but we’ll agree to the ‘scope. And put the medical bills under my name as well.”

 

“Joy…”

 

She turns to Joohyun and grins. “Don’t worry about it. Yeri’s as important to me as she is to you, and all of us just want to see her rested and recovered.” She turns to the nurse who nods and relays the message back via the phone, then ushers Joy to reception to register her name as payee.

 

Seulgi sits down next to Joohyun and squeezes her shoulder gently. “And it’s good to see that you’re still okay. I heard Seungwan’s also hospitalised…?”

 

Joohyun nods once, slowly, and recounts the episode to Seulgi. “She saved my life and Yeri’s,” Joohyun mumbles as she picks up the soot-covered helmet next to her. She brushes some of the black dust away from the visor and stares into it, brooding. “The nurse said she might experience memory loss. What if she doesn’t remember any of us?”

 

Seulgi wraps Joohyun in a soothing hug. “It’s only a possibility, so there’s also a chance she won’t suffer from any amnesia.” She looks up as Joy approaches and takes the taller woman’s hand. “We’ll wait for Yeri to be relocated into a ward, so how about you go and check up on Seungwan?”

 

*

 

Following Seulgi’s suggestion, Joohyun finds her way up to the sixth floor where Joy has booked two private rooms for Seungwan and Yeri. She takes a peek into the first room she comes across and spies familiar blue hair strewn across the pillow. She steps quietly, carefully into the room, the motorcycle helmet that protected her life still in her hands, and places it on top of a bedside drawer. Drawing up a chair, Joohyun sits next to Seungwan, and watches her sleep.

 

She doesn’t like it one bit. Seungwan has never looked more lifeless, the only sign of activity her rising and falling chest. Bandages cover more of her body than the hospital gown does -- some to hide the small cuts that litter her skin from where she scratched herself against splinters and falling objects, some to protect raw flesh where smooth skin once was. Joohyun raises her hand towards the particularly tightly wrapped bandage at Seungwan’s temple; her hand hovers slightly above it, almost touching, but draws back and clenches her fingers into a fist. 

 

Her eyes follow the tubes and wires that connect to different parts of Seungwan. A nasal cannula supplies oxygen -- to counteract possible smoke inhalation poisoning, Joohyun guesses -- and an IV drip is hooked up with a needle injected into a vein in her arm. The quiet drip of IV fluid from its plastic container into a connecting tube is a half-beat off from the regular beep of Seungwan’s cardiac monitor. The walls of the room give off an unsettling stench of antiseptics and disinfectant, and it makes Joohyun shiver.

 

She doesn’t know how much time passed before she hears a knock on the door. The wheels on the door rumble as someone slides it aside. “Joohyun.” She turns her head around at the sound of Seulgi’s voice. “Yeri’s just been transferred next door. Joy says she’ll keep watch over her for the night, so you can rest here. I’m going back to get some of her stuff from home. Do you need anything?”

 

Joohyun smiles gratefully but shakes her head. “All my things are already burnt, so…”

 

“Well, I’ll get you a new set of clothes anyway, so you can get into something more comfortable, okay?” Seulgi flashes her a thumbs-up and closes the door. As she leaves, the adrenaline that has been fuelling Joohyun throughout the entire night vanishes with her, and Joohyun leans back to rub at her eyes.

 

Exhausted, she props her arms on Seungwan’s bed and threads their fingers together. “Please wake up soon,” Joohyun murmurs in her sleepy haze, “and don’t forget me.” She falls asleep before she knows it, and doesn’t hear when Seulgi returns to cover her with a warm blanket.

 

*

 

 “Does this mean we’re okay now?” A hoarse but amused voice wakes Joohyun up. Her hand is still holding Seungwan’s, and the latter is drawing small circles on the back of her hand with a thumb. Seungwan cracks a grin, the very same one that Joohyun had missed so much. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

 

“Mm? Morning?” Joohyun swivels her head around in search of a clock; her eyes meet the afternoon sun shining through the window. Then it hits her, and she whips her head around to stare at Seungwan. “Seungwan!”

 

“That’s my name,” Seungwan agrees. “What’s up?”

 

“D-do you remember me? And why you are here?”

 

Seungwan chuckles and rolls her eyes. “Of course I do. How could I ever forget the beautiful and amazing Bae Joohyun?” Her grip on Joohyun’s hand tightens. “Don’t worry, a nurse came by earlier just now when you were sleeping to make sure I was still fully myself. This isn’t some TV drama or storybook, I won’t allow myself to lose my memory so easily.”

 

“Thank god,” Joohyun exhales a shaky breath in relief. Seungwan’s hand shoots out to cup Joohyun’s cheek, and her thumb wipes away a tear that had suddenly escaped from the corner of Joohyun’s eye.

 

“Hey there, don’t cry.” Seungwan’s hand drifts, her fingers lightly grazing over Joohyun’s shoulders and arms. “You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

 

“I’m not, but… how… how could you worry about me w-when you’re like this?” Joohyun stutters out, pointing at all of Seungwan’s patched-up injuries. “I was so scared that when you wake up, you might forget all about me, forget about everything. And when you were inside the building, I was scared that you might not make it out, or that you would save Yeri and then get trapped inside and…” Her voice breaks as it drops to a whisper. “...and die.”

 

Sighing, Seungwan shifts in her bed and draws Joohyun into a warm embrace. “Well, luckily, I didn’t die, right?” She laughs again. “We’re okay, safe. Alive.” She hesitates for a brief moment, then brushes her lips against the crown of Joohyun’s head.

 

Joohyun untangles herself from Seungwan’s embrace, and she manages a smile of her own. “Yeah. We are.” She leans forward the same time Seungwan does; their lips meet in the middle in a soft kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

 

_Amelie has a strange feeling of absolute harmony. It’s a perfect moment._

_A soft light, a scent in the air, the quiet murmur of the city._

_A surge to love, an urge to help mankind overcomes her._

_-Amelie (The Movie)_

 

Seungwan isn’t sure who initiated it, her or Joohyun, but she isn’t one to question the attractive forces that draw them together almost at the same time. She sees Joohyun’s eyelashes flutter just as her own eyes close, and then all of a sudden their lips are pressed against each other’s. Seungwan cups Joohyun’s face in her hands, tilts it for better comfort, allowing her to deepen the kiss. She feels arms being thrown around her neck as Joohyun’s fingers tangle in her hair and draw her even closer.

 

The taste of Joohyun is indescribable - sweet is too general a word, delicious too much of an understatement, perfection a cliche - but she is all these and more. Seungwan lightly grazes her teeth on Joohyun’s bottom lip, eliciting a sharp gasp from the older woman and causing her to dig her fingernails a little too deep on the back of Seungwan’s neck. She instinctively winces at the sudden pain, pulling back and effectively breaking the kiss. Joohyun is by her side in a second, fingers gingerly touching where they were just gripping a moment ago.

 

“Oh my god, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

 

Seungwan chuckles and takes Joohyun’s prying hands in hers. “I know, I know, don’t worry about it.” She turns her gaze downwards, her thumbs smoothening out the creases on Joohyun’s palms. “I should be the one apologising, really. It was wrong of me to keep things from you.” 

 

Joohyun leans forward to plant another quick kiss on the woman’s remorseful face. “Well, you saved me and Yeri, so… let’s call it even?” She pulls one hand out from Seungwan’s grasp and extends her pinky, and Seungwan links it with her own.

 

“Deal.”

 

*

 

After a while, Joohyun leaves to check on Yeri, and Seungwan is left with her own thoughts. They bounce around in her head as she thinks of the night’s events in full detail - the speed at which the fire burnt through the building and its support beams, Joohyun’s stricken face, Yeri lying immobile on the bed… and, Seungwan remembers with sudden clarity, the thick, blue liquid that flowed unnoticed to Joohyun’s doorstep.

 

Kerosene, Seungwan realises angrily. Some bastard threw kerosene on the old building and set it on fire, no doubt to harm either Joohyun or Yeri or both. Unless the two girls had made enemies with anyone -- highly unlikely, knowing them -- Seungwan is pretty sure she can guess who was behind the attack.

 

A quick knock causes the door to her private ward to shudder in its frame. “Excuse me,” a gruff voice says from the other side, “this is the police. Can we talk to you for a second?”

 

*

 

Joohyun pokes her head through the small gap between a door and its frame, watching as Seulgi occupies herself in the quiet room with preparing a cup of instant ramen. She also sees Joy at the side of Yeri’s bed the same way she was next to Seungwan’s, fast asleep with her arms folded under her head. Slinking soundlessly into the room, Joohyun tiptoes her way to Yeri’s bed, and the sight gives her pause.

 

Hooked up to a multitude of machines that beeped and hummed in low tones, Yeri sleeps with an oxygen mask strapped to her face. Her expression is serene, at peace, almost as if her life wasn’t in any danger just hours before. Joohyun tucks away the untamed locks of copper hair that cover Yeri’s eyes and cups the young girl’s cheek in one hand, her mind swimming with unspoken apologies.

 

“Here,” Seulgi whispers as she presses a tissue into Joohyun’s hand. The latter realises the wetness on her cheeks are from the tears streaking down her face and quickly dabs at them. “Sit down, there’s a sofa over there.” Once Joohyun makes herself comfortable, Seulgi thrusts a pair of disposable chopsticks at Joohyun before setting two hot cups of ramen on the table in front of her. 

 

“Eat.” Seulgi points at a ramen cup with her own pair of chopsticks. “I assume you just woke up when the doctors were making their rounds judging by the giant eye-bags hanging under your eyes. The doctor-in-charge says that Yeri might not wake up for a while yet as her body needs time to recover from carbon monoxide poisoning, but other than that, she should be okay.”

 

Joohyun nods thoughtfully, and as the two dine on instant noodles, asks: “How’s Joy holding up?” 

 

Seulgi sighs in answer and shrugs. “She’s worried. Quite angry as well, but mostly worried. She insisted on keeping vigil with Yeri throughout the whole of last night and most of this morning as well even though I told her to get some rest.” Seulgi cracks a wan smile as her gaze fixates on the hunched-over form of Joy. “She called up the police today, insisted that they come here to inform her on every update because she couldn’t possibly leave Yeri alone.”

 

Joohyun chuckles; she understands the feeling all too well. Stealing a glance sideways at the woman slurping up noodles, her eyes take in Seulgi’s haggard appearance, most of which has been skilfully hidden under carefully applied makeup. Nothing could cover up the way the woman’s shoulders sag with exhaustion, and Joohyun’s trained eyes could certainly not miss the way Seulgi blinks, squeezing her eyes shut with every blink in a futile attempt to catch up on even one second of sleep.

 

“And how about you?” Joohyun asks then, putting her cup down and placing a comforting hand on Seulgi’s knee.

 

That’s all it takes for Seulgi to break down, her arms going limp as if she has suddenly lost all strength in them. Joohyun rushes to grab the utensils from her hands before she drops scalding water on her lap, placing them safely on the table next to her own. Seulgi slumps back into the soft backrest of the couch, her body sinking in as her eyes flutter close. 

 

“I’m tired. I’m actually so, so tired, and so confused about everything.” 

 

Another sentiment Joohyun can empathise with too easily. Leaning back, mirroring Seulgi’s posture, she folds her hands over her lap and turns her head to look at Seulgi. “You can tell me about it if you want.”

 

“It’s just… Joy never wanted to do anything in her dad’s company, so it was always up to me to do everything that she was supposed to be doing, but I’d rarely get the credit. Her father expected so much out of her, and I’d sometimes get the emotional backlash of it. Now that she’s found something to do, someone who can act as an inspiration to her and someone who, despite knowing her for not very long at all, loves her like their own, I thought maybe it’d get better. Maybe she’ll learn how to take responsibility for her own actions. Maybe-”

 

“Maybe she won’t need or want you around anymore?”

 

Seulgi hesitates, then slowly exhales. “Yeah.” It’s hard for her to admit, but as much as Joy had made her job millions of times harder by refusing to cooperate with the CEO’s direct orders, it hurt Seulgi even more to think that Joy would no longer be working beside her, with her. “It’s a really selfish thought, isn’t it?” she mutters. A low chuckle escapes her throat as she sinks further into the couch. 

 

“You’re right, it is selfish.” Joohyun’s simple, quiet agreement has Seulgi raising her eyebrows. She opens her eyes to look at the older woman, bemused. “But I don’t think that’s altogether a bad thing, is it? We’re all human, after all. Besides, it’s really obvious you love Joy, and I think it’ll be better when the both of you can stand strong independently as equals, rather than a codependent boss and secretary.”

 

Joohyun grins when she notices Joy’s steady gaze from the corner of her eye; the tall woman had been awake and listening from the very beginning. Joy nods her head almost indiscernibly. “And I’m sure she thinks the same way, too,” Joohyun finishes. 

 

As she says that, Joy makes a show of yawning and stretching, pretending that she has just woken up. “Oh, Joohyun, you’re here.”

 

Joohyun stifles a laugh as she nods. “So I am.” She inclines her head towards Seulgi. “Take her out for some proper dinner, will you? I’ll stay here and watch over Yeri.” She rises from the couch and makes her way over to Joy, nudging her out of her seat.

 

“Have a good, long talk,” she advises Joy before all but ushering the duo out of the room. Once the door shuts behind them, Joohyun settles down in the bedside chair and watches Yeri sleep. She has never seen the younger girl so still and unmoving before, and it does unsettle her quite a bit. Taking Yeri’s hand in hers, she runs her fingers over the catheter taped to Yeri’s arm, observing the slow drip of the liquid in the IV bag. 

 

“You can do it,” Joohyun says under her breath. “I’ll be waiting for you to wake up, so recover well and come back to me.”

 

*

 

Seungwan keeps a wary eye on the burly uniform pacing before her, deep in thought, with one hand stroking his stubbled chin. Stopping at the foot of her bed, he spins around and crosses his arms. “You realise that if what you’re saying turns out to be true, not only will there be an in-depth investigation into CEO Park Joong Won that may very well backfire, but you would also be taken in for questioning and risk the chance of being jailed, or at the very least, fined.”

 

She grits her teeth and gives a firm nod. “I understand the consequences, but I want this case to be solved as soon as possible.”

 

The policeman sighs and rubs a hand over his face, exasperated. He grabs the bedside chair and swings himself onto the cramped seat, his muscular legs awkwardly pressed together between the armrests. It takes him a lot of shifting to retrieve his notebook and pen from his pocket, and with them in hand he leans forward to begin taking notes.

 

“Are you very sure that this isn’t just some sort of random vandalism?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you really not know anyone else who would have any sort of intent of harming Miss Joohyun or Miss Yeri?”

 

Seungwan answers affirmatively without hesitation. “Yes. They aren’t the sort of people that can easily make enemies, and even if someone else was out to get them, I…”

 

“You’d know, because you’ve been investigating her, right?” The policeman’s straightforward question gives her pause. “Some people might also like to call it stalking. Either way, you’ve been trying to dig up information about her and whoever else you claim your client was looking to find. You realise that this can be considered invasion of privacy, right?” His voice begins to rise in volume. “Especially if you’ve not been using any legal channels, this could easily land you in jail. And to top it all off, you want to bring the head of a well-know multinational corporation to court?”

 

“Excuse me.” A nurse suddenly pokes his head through the door, irritation clearly showing on his face as he jabs a finger at the policeman. “I get that you’re doing your job, but could you keep it down? This is a hospital after all.”

 

Now with a quieter voice and a sheepish look on his face, the policeman finishes his question: “Are you sure you want to do this?”

 

“Yes.” Seungwan fixes him with a determined look that makes him sigh in resignation.

 

“Okay then.” He clicks his pen and flips his notebook open to an empty page. “Let’s start from the very beginning.”

 

*

 

Joohyun jolts upright, her eyes still blurred with sleep. The clock hanging on the wall has its hour hand just shifting slightly past eight. Bright sunlight peeks through the gaps of the blinds drawn across the room’s windows. She must have accidentally fallen asleep last night, and judging by the blanket draped over her shoulders and back, either Seulgi or Joy had come back to check up on her and Yeri.

 

Her left pinky is warm, enveloped in something soft. Looking down, she realises that her fingers are loosely held in Yeri’s, like a baby clinging onto its mother with a tiny fist. This is not the position she recalls falling asleep in.

 

The realisation hits; she swiftly turns to look at the teenager sleeping in bed. Yeri doesn’t show any sign of movement, every bit of her in the same place as the night before - except the fingers of her left hand are gripping Joohyun’s.

 

“I would definitely call this a good sign,” the doctor declares during his morning rounds. “Her vitals are improving, and like you said, if she did manage to hold your hand, it would mean that she was briefly conscious and had enough energy to move. Give her a few more days, and she should be well on the way to recovery.”

 

Joohyun breathes a sigh of relief, and when Joy arrives for the day, happily informs the tall woman about the new development. Joy tackles her in a bearhug, overjoyed. “You can go check on Seungwan if you want to, you know,” she says. “And you should tell her about Yeri, seeing as she did save her life and all.”

 

Joohyun smiles; she understands fully that Joy still isn’t too fond of Seungwan, but has still - reluctantly - acknowledge the fact that the latter did risk her life for Yeri. “I’ll be right back. Tell me if she wakes up or moves, okay?”

 

Nearly skipping in excitement, Joohyun draws the door to Seungwan’s ward open, already anticipating her response to the good news. 

 

“Miss Son Seungwan, you’re under arrest for invasion of privacy of multiple persons, illegal attainment of information, and attempted murder.” The clipped statement stops Joohyun in her tracks, and the grin on her face starts to slip. She stares blankly as two uniformed policemen read Seungwan her rights as a doctor hovers nearby. “Do you understand your rights?”

 

Seungwan’s eyes dart briefly to Joohyun where she stands in the doorway, her gaze flashing with alarm, before answering with a resolute finality. “Yes, I do.” 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

 

__ It’s a strange feeling, being so utterly surrounded by her.  
Her life scent is on everything. She’s on me and under me and next to me.    
_It’s as if the entire room is made out of her._   
_-Isaac Marion_

 

Seungwan sits patiently, awaiting impending doom. The policeman was right when he said that involving the CEO would only bring about trouble, and besides, it’s not like her own record would not be heavily scrutinised. Sometimes Seungwan wonders whether her life would have been much easier and better if her job wasn’t what it is.

 

She could have been a baker, she muses in bed. After all, when she was younger, her peers did quite like the confectioneries she brought to school, and they always assumed she had bought them from high-class stores. She didn’t bother correcting them, and besides, the indirect compliment was more than enough. Especially when it came from the head baker of the bakery where her father worked.

 

Seungwan chuckles drily to herself as she reminisces about the time she spent at the bakery as a child, innocently following her father around as he made what she thought at that time were the most beautiful sugar flowers. The head baker would be so entertained by her constant presence and enthusiasm he would often call her over to help him with small, menial tasks when baking. Brooding over it in the confined area of her hospital room, she now realises that he had never done so with her father, at least not when she was around.

 

Perhaps that was the reason why her father had locked her in the bakery’s industrial oven. Envy easily brings out the worst in people, after all. Her mother had tried many times to erase that moment from their lives to the point that Seungwan pretended to have forgotten all about it. To tuck away that feeling of helplessness, that memory of pounding fists against the metallic oven door is damn near impossible, she knows.

 

Now she wonders whether the time she’ll be spending in prison is anything similar to that. Seungwan supposes she’ll have a lot of time to figure that out soon.

 

She glances up when the door slams open and two policemen burst through the door, muscling their way past an extremely aggravated doctor. “Excuse me, you can’t just do this!” the doctor exclaims, his reedy arms spread in a futile attempt to block the uniforms. “The patient needs to have her rest, you can’t-”

 

“Look here,” one of the policemen stops to frown at the doctor. “We’ve got a job to do as well, and the patient looks pretty much okay to me. We’re only here to read her her rights, tell her what she’s got coming, and then we’ll discuss when she can come out of your jurisdiction and into ours, alright?”

 

“Still-”

 

“It’s alright.” Seungwan smiles gratefully at her doctor. “They can just do what they need to and leave, and you can stay just in case something goes wrong.”

 

Although that seems to satisfy both professionals, the doctor can’t stop harrumphing a little bit in disdain. Seungwan sends another reassuring smile his way as the policemen read out from their notes. She lets the words wash over her, condemning her to God knows how many years in a cell, until the final stroke of the executioner’s axe lands. “Attempted murder,” the uniform announces like a death sentence.

 

Seungwan licks her lips. She should have seen this coming, she knows, shouldn’t have expected any less from people like Taek and CEO Park. She’s more than sure that those two are working together to get rid of her and Joohyun, though why they would ever want to harm the latter, God only knows.

 

“Do you understand your rights?” the uniform asks.

 

Seungwan breathes in deeply, trying to delay the inevitable. She glances around, as if searching for a way to escape. Her gaze lands on where the room door is open just enough for someone of small stature to stand and eavesdrop. Just enough for Joohyun to stand stock-still in the doorway, listening with shock painting her face. Seungwan tries to muster up a smile to reassure Joohyun, thought it comes out more as a resigned grimace.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

The whole room sighs. The doctor standing beside Seungwan draws himself up to his full height and puts on his sternest face. “Right.” He jabs his finger at the two policemen. “Now that you’ve done your job, you can leave and let my patient rest.” He ushers them out, passing by a frozen Joohyun on the way.

 

“Joohyun,” Seungwan calls out. No response.

 

“Joohyun,” she tries again, louder this time.

 

Joohyun startles, and her eyes clear enough to fixate on Seungwan’s concerned face. _There she is,_ she thinks, _worried about me even though she was just read unjust accusations._ She tries a smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Seungwan’s face deepens with sorrow as she beckons Joohyun over and pulls the older woman into a hug.

 

“You heard that, didn’t you?” she asks, her voice muffled by the soft shirt that is Joohyun’s nightie, still unchanged from the night of the fire. It has hints of smoke and the antiseptic air that makes up the hospital; most importantly, underneath it all, it still smells like Joohyun. Seungwan inhales it all, and places a soft kiss on Joohyun’s stomach. “I’m sorry you were here to hear the policemen.”

 

“I don’t understand,” Joohyun mutters. “You didn’t deserve any of those accusations, especially the last one.” She breaks off and begins to pace. “Why attempted murder, of all things? You saved a life, dammit!”

 

Despite herself, Seungwan finds herself amused by the sight of Joohyun indignantly walking around with her days-old nightie flapping around her petite body. “You’re absolutely right, I don’t know what got into them,” she murmurs.

 

Joohyun frowns. “What did you say?”

 

“Oh, nothing.” Seungwan memorizes the sight of a confused, pissed Joohyun in her pyjamas, and files it away in her mind to reminisce when she is placed in prison. “I can think of an explanation, but I’ll tell you after you change out of that. You’re starting to smell off,” she says, attempting to lighten the mood.

 

Joohyun glances down, tries to process what Seungwan just said. “Wait, what?”

 

“You haven’t changed your clothes since… since the fire, Joohyun.” Seungwan wrinkles her nose in mock disgust. “It’s kind of gross.”

 

Joohyun narrows her eyes. “Are you trying to distract me?” But she lifts the collar of her sleep shirt anyway, sniffs. Wrinkles her nose. “Because it’s working.”

 

Seungwan starts to laugh; she can’t help herself. “Go freshen up, the bathroom in this room has a shower space.” Catching Joohyun’s glare, she sighs, resigned. “I have a hunch why the police are doing the things they’re doing. One of them, a more reliable and sturdy uniform, had told me this sort of thing might happen. I’ll explain everything to you later, once you’re out of the shower. Seulgi left you clothes over there.” She angles her head to indicate at the piles of clothes and beddings left on the sofa.

 

Joohyun crosses the room to pick them up, bundling them in her arms as she walks towards the bathroom. Before closing the partition door, she angles a look at Seungwan. “You’ll tell me everything, right? _Everything._ ”

 

Seungwan nods firmly. “Oh, and, Joohyun? Will you do me a favour later?”

 

*

 

“And why are we doing this again?” Joy asks for the umpteenth time.

 

“Because,” Seulgi explains with unrelenting patience, “Joohyun said she was going to do this for Seungwan, and we certainly can’t let her go somewhere unfamiliar alone, can we?”

 

Fair enough. And because that makes enough sense to Joy, she only rolls her eyes as she trudges behind Joohyun and Seulgi. Her eyes dart around, trying to figure out where exactly the trio are heading to. The apartment buildings surround her look old and worn, with paint peeling off the walls and windows yellowed with age. Never in her life has she been so near places such as this, nor would she ever dare to even enter one of these buildings, so old that they look like one false misstep would bring them crashing down.

 

The things one does for the people they love, Joy thought to herself.

 

“I think this is it.” Joohyun stops in front of one of many apartment buildings, not so different from the rest of them, and looks up. The lobby door before her opens and she steps in, followed by Seulgi and Joy. An elevator door slides open and a man staggers out, a day’s worth of scruff still left unshaved on his jaw. A beer bottle is tucked into his torn jacket, and as he starts to saunter towards them Joy can already smell the alcohol. He shoots the girls a grin as he reaches a hand down into his pants.

 

Joy tries her best not to turn tail and vomit somewhere, although she does consider calling the police for indecency.

 

Completely indifferent to the sleazy drunk in front of her, Joohyun breezes past him and presses the call button for the elevator. “Hey, girlie!” He turns around. “You want some of this?” He starts to unzip his fly, but Seulgi grabs his wrist in a vice-grip and squeezes.

 

“You might not want to do that, sir,” she warns in a casual, pleasant tone. Joy knows Seulgi well enough to hear the ice behind the words, and winces as the man turns his head to leer at Seulgi.

 

“Oh yeah? Why not?”

 

Seulgi smiles, twists his arm into a chicken wing, and sighs. “Because then I’d have to hurt you more than this, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?” She leans in, placing pressure on his arm, making him yelp in shock and pain. “Get out and don’t bother anyone else, will you?”

 

She lets go and watches the drunk fall, hard onto the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he makes a beeline for the door, clutching his injured arm. “Bitch!” he spits out before turning tail and leaving.

 

If Joy wasn’t besotted with Seulgi before, that would have made her fallen halfway in love. “You never told me you could do that!” she exclaims as she hooks her arm around Seulgi. The latter merely sends her a winning, all-knowing smile as they follow Joohyun into the elevator.

 

*

 

Joohyun stops in front of a door. Simple, unassuming, the white-painted wooden door with its brass doorknob is within her grasp. As she reaches out to grab it, she hesitates; what will she find hidden behind this door? Seungwan had only requested her book and laptop be retrieved, but what if there is more? There certainly would be, Joohyun knows, and she isn’t sure whether she’s ready to face anything else Seungwan might have been hiding from her.

 

So she takes a deep breath, lets it out. And turns the doorknob.

 

The interior of the studio apartment is precisely Seungwan’s style, Joohyun thinks to herself. Warm lights bathes a small, tidy kitchen, a small work area, and a queen-sized bed in a soft glow. Papers are spread across both work table and bed, with more peppered across bulletin boards, stuck to the cork surface with colourful thumbtacks. Moving into the kitchen area, Joohyun’s fingers dance over a food cover, and lift it up to find a tray of brownies still uncut. Next to it are a mason jar full of cookies neatly labelled “chocolate chip”. She lifts the jar to examine it; stuck onto the bottom of the jar is another label printed on the same colourful paper. “For Joohyun”, it reads.

 

Touched, she opens the jar and reaches in, picking up a small cookie with two fingers, sampling it. The cookie is exactly the right level of sweet, wonderfully chewy and not too soft at all. She cradles the jar of cookies to her chest, oddly comforted by its presence, its weight.

 

“Woah.” Joy utters a low exclamation, impressed. “Have you _seen_ this stuff, Joohyun?” She plucks a sheet of paper from the bed and reads it. “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, prevalence of medical diagnosis is 2.5%, self-reported up to 11.2%... Often goes undiagnosed, so chances of Park having MCS without realising it is high…”

 

She picks up another paper. “List of Park Minas registered in Seoul,” she reads out. “This is insane. I’d never guess her research would be so in-depth and, well, extensive.”

 

“But this in particular,” Seulgi holds up a notebook, “has quite a lot of things that some of us might not want to know. The police would go crazy over this, and-”

 

Joohyun plucks the book out of her hands before she can complete her sentence. “Ah, well,” Seulgi sighs with some resignation. “The one person that shouldn’t be reading it now has full possession over it.”

 

The discreet hard-cover book of dark red is, true to Seulgi’s words, filled with notes, bullet points, even photos, all of Joohyun. The woman in question narrows her eyes as she sees her daily schedule neatly written down to minute detail. Photographs of her house and the laundromat below it, taken from different angles, are tucked between ink-filled pages.

 

She leafs through the pages, stopping at a double-page entry with her name written in large, block letters. There are arrows spiralling out of her name, leading to smaller words, linked with each other. A mind map all about Bae Joohyun. In a corner of the spread is scrawled: Chance of Joohyun as target: high. Further observation required. Look into reliability of death certificate of Park Mina.

 

The style of writing on the pages following the mind map get increasingly messy and colourful. Joohyun peers at a word that has been repeatedly circled in red pen. “Taek”, it reads. Underneath, a harshly, angrily-drawn arrow.

 

“Dangerous. Slipped up. Must warn Joohyun. Must prove she is not target,” Joohyun reads out loud. Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, she sinks to the floor, letting the book slip out of her hands. “Oh God, Seungwan.”

 

Joy hurries over to hold Joohyun, cradling her as she shudders. “Talk about stalking,” Joy mutters.

 

“It’s not that,” Joohyun mutters. “It’s not that at all. It’s just… she wanted to warn me about him. Even when I was angry at her, when I ignored her and refused to speak to her, she was still trying her best to look after me. To make sure I was safe.”

 

Joy wants to argue that if Seungwan hadn’t stalked Joohyun for a stupid job, had never come into the equation at all, then there would have been no need to fight for Joohyun’s safety. She would have been safe, period. But one look at Joohyun’s expression has her holding her tongue. Instead, she directs her gaze to the floor where Joohyun has dropped the incriminating notebook, and notices a folded square of paper that had slid out from where it had been tucked between pages.

 

“Paternity test,” she notes the words neatly printed on the top of the paper. And then, “Oh, shit.”

 

“What?” Joohyun and Seulgi both lean over to read the paper that Joy is goggling at. Eyes skimming over the words and medical jargon, Joohyun stares at the conclusion of the test printed at the bottom of the page. “This doesn’t make sense. Your father can’t be mine. Mine’s dead, both my parents are. How did…”

 

“Here.” Seulgi points to a part of the document which Joy and Joohyun have both skipped over. “DNA sample from client’s hair.” She looks at Joohyun, staring at the way multiple shades of brown hair sweep past her shoulders. “Long hair falls pretty often, she might have picked up a strand or two somewhere. The laundromat, I’m guessing.”

 

She allows herself a seat on the floor next to the duo and takes a deep breath. “Seungwan told me about this, briefly. That day when we were at your place, Joohyun, she came around to check on you. I saw her, and she talked to me. Told me something about a DNA test, and how she requested a copy to be sent to her client - the CEO. Which, according to her, meant that Taek would hear about it.”

 

Joy pieces two and two together. “So Seungwan thinks my father and this Taek guy has something to do with Joohyun being in danger, and possibly caused the fire. Because my father now knows that Joohyun is his daughter.” She pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Why would someone even do that?”

 

Scandals, Seulgi presumes. If the CEO and Chairman of a famous, multinational company is discovered to have an illegitimate daughter, stocks would plummet. The media wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. It could be a big blow to his career to the point of financial ruin.

 

“So?” Joy argues hotly. “Joohyun’s his daughter. You can’t just do that to your own child. That’s just selfish nonsense.”

 

Joohyun presses her lips together. She knows very well of irresponsible parents, of parents who loved money more than they could ever love any child of theirs, so she keeps quiet and gets to her feet. “Alright, then. Let’s get going now that we’ve got her notebook.”

 

As the three women step out of the building, Joohyun suddenly comes to a halt. “Hold on a minute.” Seulgi and Joy turn back to look at her questioningly. “I forgot to get her laptop too.”

 

Seulgi places a hand on Joohyun’s arm. “You stay here with Joy. I’ll go get it quickly.”

 

She dashes back to Seungwan’s apartment and rifles through her belongings until she finds the computer hidden under a pile of documents. As she cradles the laptop in her arms, one particular document catches her eye, and she picks it up to read it.

 

*

 

“What’s taking her so long?” Joohyun wonders, staring up at the aging building. It surprised her to see Seungwan living in this kind of place, old and somewhat sleazy. Not somewhere where, she thinks, a woman like Seungwan should be staying.

 

“Maybe the laptop’s hidden somewhere. Like a safe or something.” Joy hesitates, then touches Joohyun the same way Seulgi had. “Listen, Joohyun, maybe Seungwan was the wrong one. So far, everything we’ve found just points to her stalking you and invading your privacy and all that.”

 

“Joy.” Joohyun turns to look at her, but she unexpectedly notices something out of the corner of her eye. “Isn’t that Taek?”

 

“What?” Joy aligns her gaze with Joohyun’s and barely misses the man who just strolled into the building. He is too sharply dressed for this environment, sticking out like a sore thumb. Joohyun can only guess that he is here for the same reasons they are. “Shit, really?”

 

Joy quickly sends a text on her phone. “Seulgi, get out. Taek’s here.”

 

Seulgi stares at Joy’s message and quickly stuffs Seungwan’s laptop, along with the document she has been meticulously reading, into her bag and hurries back to the door. She is too late; as she stares, the doorknob turns, and the door slowly swings open.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

 

_The fabled musk deer_  
searches the world over  
_for the source of the scent_  
_which comes from itself._  
  
-Ramakrishna

 

Seulgi watches in horror as the doorknob before her turns. She begins to take cautious steps back until her fingers brush against a corner of Seungwan’s bed. She rushes towards Seungwan’s closet and squeezes herself in, backing up into the darkest corner of the closet and rearranging the hanging jackets to cover her top half.

 

And stops breathing when she hears the calm tapping of shoes on the floor.

 

She hears a dry laugh, the sweep of leather shoes across carpet. “This place, wow,” she hears Taek say in his mildly amused voice, “are we really not paying them enough?” Papers are crushed underfoot as he canvasses the small apartment. Fingers brush against the wooden doors of the closet Seulgi is hiding in, and she presses herself as much as she can into the back wall of the closet.

 

She squeezes her eyes shut when the door is slowly pulled open… and nearly heaves a sigh of relief when it is shut again. 

 

“Fascinating. She’s actually quite good at research, aren’t you, Son Seungwan?” Taek murmurs as he plucks a sheet of paper off the bulletin board. “A clever girl, made into a fool by love. Such a cliche.” He lets the paper drop onto the floor and sticks his hands in his pockets. From one of his pockets he draws out a simple lighter and a receipt, and neatly arranges them on Seungwan’s work desk.

 

His easy-going tuneless humming sends shivers down Seulgi’s spine. She closes her eyes and prays for his departure, and is rewarded when she finally hears the apartment door shut with a quiet click. Seulgi pushes the closet door open inch by inch. She sticks her head out first, making sure that the coast is clear, then carefully steps out of the closet. 

 

She immediately spots the polished metal rectangle on top of the table and reaches out for it. “Hold on a minute.” She pulls her hand back at the last second and takes out a small handkerchief, then picks the lighter up with it. “He put this here, the bastard.” Leaning over, she examines the receipt left with the lighter. “Two lighters purchased,” she reads out. She connects the dots easily, and calls Joy.

 

“Seulgi! Are you okay? Did you see Taek?” Joy’s frantic voice touches something in Seulgi.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. He came in here just now, but I don’t think he realised I was here. Look, he planted some fake evidence here. One lighter with a receipt for two. I think he’s going to Joohyun’s laundromat after this, going to leave the other lighter there in some really obvious place for the authorities to find. They do that, it’ll be the last nail in Seungwan’s coffin.”

 

“Then we should try and intercept him.” It is Joohyun speaking now, calm tones masking the ice underneath. “Be careful on your way out, Seulgi. We haven’t seen Taek exiting the building yet.”

 

“Okay.” Seulgi hangs up and tucks her phone back into her pocket. She steals one more glance around the apartment before opening the front door, and freezes at the sight of Taek leaning against the wall next to the elevators.

 

Sensing Seulgi’s presence, he looks up and bares his teeth. “Oh, hello. I was just waiting for you. Miss Kang Seulgi, am I right?”

 

“Yes, yes I am.” Steeling her nerves, Seulgi draws in a deep breath and tries her best to look unfazed. “Who are you, and how do you know me?”

 

“My apologies. You may call me Taek. I’ve seen you around Chairman Park’s - that is, Park Joong Won’s - office, and was informed that you’re a very efficient PA to his daughter.” When Seulgi neither confirms nor denies it, Taek continues. “He sent me here on a little errand, and, well, I don’t believe I was informed that you would be here as well. In fact,” he says as he approaches her, “I wasn’t even aware you knew the tenant of this apartment.”

 

The corners of Seulgi’s lips curl up. “That’s not surprising. It’s not possible for someone to know every single thing in the world, is it?”

 

Taek shifts closer until he is looming over Seulgi. “Unfortunately for you, it’s my job to know things. So tell me, what are you doing here coming out of this particular apartment?”

 

He knows, Seulgi realises. He knows, and he’s toying with me _._ She assumes a relaxed posture and looks up to meet his gaze. “I’m here on my boss’s orders.” Keep it distant, formal. “Someone hurt her friend and she’s looking for who did it. She suspects the tenant of this apartment did it. I’m here to prove it.”

 

“I see.” Taek studies Seulgi with such intensity she can feel the sweat pooling at the base of her spine. “And did you also know that the person who stays here is also a suspect in stalking and attempted murder? Oh, no, in fact,” he says as a small smirk plays on his lips, “she’s definitely a stalker, and no doubt had dangerous designs on certain people.”

 

“Well, glad to know that my boss was right, then. Now, if you don’t mind.” Seulgi angles her body and starts to move past Taek, but he grabs her wrist to stop her.

 

“So, did you find anything of use? For example, is there anything in that bag of yours?”

 

Seulgi twists her wrist out of his grasp in one quick motion. “I’m a PA, Taek. There are always things in my bag.” Her phone starts to ring just in time. “And that would be my boss. She’s very demanding, and very determined to get what she wants.” Seulgi gives him a fierce grin as she enters the elevator. “Goodbye, Taek.”

 

Seulgi strides out of the apartment building in brisk steps, beckoning at Joy and Joohyun to follow her. Only when she feels that they are a safe distance away from the apartment, and from Taek, does she stop and crouch down into a squat.

 

“Oh God,” she breathes out. “Oh my God.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Joy’s hands immediately shoot out to take Seulgi’s. “Did he hurt you anywhere?” she asks even as she checks Seulgi for any injuries. 

 

“No, that isn’t it.” Seulgi takes Joy’s searching hands in hers. “It’s just… He was terrifying. It’s like he knew I was there, what I was there for. He was toying with me, like some kind of hungry cat.” She shivers at the memory. 

 

Feeling safer now that she is with Joy and Joohyun, she remembers what she had pilfered from Seungwan’s apartment. “Let’s go back to the hospital first. There’s something I need to show both of you.”

 

*

 

A tall, slim girl with long black hair speed-walks down a hospital corridor, frantically looking around at the plaques decorating the walls, searching for a specific name. Her friend’s name. The name of the girl she, Kim Saeron, secretly had a crush on, for God’s sake, and she’d be damned if she couldn’t find her room.

 

There it is, written in bold font against golden yellow: Kim Yerim. She took in a deep breath before knocking on the door, once, then twice. No response. “Yeri?” she asks. Once again, there is no response. “I’m coming in,” she announces, just in case, and slides the door aside.

 

Like Joohyun a few days ago, she stands in the doorway, her heart momentarily stopped, as she absorbs the sight of Yeri lying still in bed. Carefully, Saeron tiptoes over to her and sits down in the visitor’s chair. “Yeri,” she breathes, taking Yeri’s hand in hers. “I’m here. I know you’re awake, Seulgi’s already told me. So can’t you open your eyes now?”

 

It was just a quick message, one that Seulgi had sent a few hours ago, but it had Saeron rushing over as soon as she could. But Yeri is still sleeping, Searon notes sadly, not a single twitch of a muscle in sight. Her thumbs rub circles in Yeri’s palms as she closes her eyes and mutters a prayer.

 

“Sae… ron?”

 

She perks up at the sound of Yeri’s voice saying her name. Hoarse, quiet, a little drained, but the voice could be no one else’s but Yeri’s. 

 

“Yeri.” Her own voice comes out a bit shaky. She swallows, and grips Yeri’s hand tighter. “Yeri, I’m here.”

 

To her bemusement, Yeri manages to muster a lopsided smirk. “I know, I could hear you. Why else do you think I didn’t want to open my eyes?”

 

Saeron frowns and leans back, offended, and pulls her hand back. Yeri’s hand moves, quick as a snake, and her fingers wrap around Saeron’s hand in an unnatural display of strength given her current condition. “I’m kidding, babe. Just a jo-” Yeri breaks off halfway, coughing violently.

 

Saeron bolts from her seat to get a cup of water. She helps Yeri adjust the bed, moving it into a gentle slope, before popping a straw into the water and holding it to Yeri’s mouth. “Here.”

 

Yeri rolls her eyes but complies. “I’m not a baby, you know,” she whines between tentative sips. “I don’t need a straw.”

 

“Babies whine. You just whined. Therefore, you are a currently being the babiest baby I know,” Saeron points out with amusement. With relief, too, thankful that Yeri has not lost her cheeky manner. Setting the cup aside, Saeron sits on the edge of the hospital bed and grins. “Good to have you back, Kim Yerim.”

 

“Good to be back,” Yeri agrees, closing her eyes on a sigh. “I would have regretted not telling you how ridiculously beautiful you are every time we meet.”

 

Saeron’s feels butterflies in her stomach, and she has to place one hand over her heart just to make sure it doesn’t hammer too loudly against her chest. “Oh?” She tries for a joke, wondering whether Yeri is just teasing her. “Well, no worries. I can read your mind, so you don’t have to tell me that.”

 

Yeri’s eyes open and focus on her. The sincerity in her cocoa-brown eyes make Saeron a little nervous, but she keeps her grin on her face. “Then,” says Yeri slowly, picking her words carefully, “if you’re so good at reading minds, then it won’t be news to you that I’m picking this possibly inappropriate time to ask you to go on a date with me sometime once I’m out of here.”

 

A smile tugs on her lips when Saeron sits there and gapes at her. “What?” Saeron asks, dumbfounded.

 

“Oh, so you can’t read minds? Dang.”

 

“What?” Saeron asks again, not believing her ears.

 

Yeri rolls her eyes as she laughs. “I know it’s quite sudden and rushed, Saeron, but it’s not like you didn’t get my question the first time. Will you-”

 

Before she completes her sentence, Saeron lunges forward and brushes her lips against Yeri’s for only a brief moment. This time it is Yeri’s turn to gape in surprise. She quickly presses her lips together, entertaining a small smile.

 

The moment is soon interrupted when Joohyun bursts through the door, closely followed by Joy and Seulgi. All three of them are muttering amongst themselves in hushed but agitated tones. Seulgi gestures wildly with papers in her hand as she asks questions, and Joohyun shakes her head in response. Then the trio stop short at the sight of Saeron sitting on Yeri’s bed.

 

“Oh, Saeron.” Seulgi is the first to react. She crosses over to the duo on the bed. “Here to visit Yeri, huh?”

 

“Yeah, I, I was just leaving,” Saeron mumbles, disengaging herself from the bed - and Yeri - with some reluctance. 

 

“Oh, Saeron,” Joohyun stops her before she leaves the room, holding out a laptop and notebook. “Can you also check on Seungwan, Son Seungwan, and hand these over to her? She’s just down the corridor. Yeri and I both owe our lives to her, so if you could just check on her…”

 

“If that’s so, then I should definitely thank her,” Saeron quips with a grin as she exits.

 

Once she is gone, Joohyun seats herself in the unoccupied bedside chair with a sigh. “Hey, how are you feeling?” she asks Yeri, a strained smile plastered on her face.

 

“From your expression, better than you.”

 

Joohyun barks out a laugh even as she nods in agreement. Yeri looks around at Joy and Seulgi; both of them sport the same slightly distracted look on their faces, as if their minds were preoccupied with something else. Yeri furrows her brows and stares at each one of the other three women in the room. “Okay, something happened when I was out. Spill.”

 

“I don’t-” Joohyun starts, but Yeri cuts her off.

 

“Don’t try to hide anything from me, Joohyun. Someone set your house on fire, and as your friend, I think I deserve to know what’s going on.”

 

“She’s got a point.” Joy lifts her shoulders at Joohyun’s raised brow. “I mean, she _was_ the one injured in the fire, and leaving her out of the loop might bring her more harm than good.” 

 

Next to her, Seulgi nods in approval. Joohyun purses her lips, and left with no choice, updates Yeri on Seungwan’s plight and what happened at her apartment. Yeri listens attentively, her gaze hardening as she learns about Taek and his confronting Seulgi. “Thank goodness you managed to escape,” Yeri mutters in relief. “But what did you find, exactly?”

 

“This.” Seulgi holds up the documents she had helped herself to and hands them to Yeri, who immediately starts leafing through them. “It appears to be a contract that legally binds Seungwan to who we think is the one behind the fire - not Taek, but the one hiring him to do it, Park Joong Won.”

 

Yeri freezes. “Isn’t that…”

 

“My dad, yeah.” Joy rotates her jaw, uncomfortable with the idea of her father harboring the desire to harm, and potentially kill, two of her friends. But as much as she doesn’t want to believe it, she would honestly not put her father past it. Not to mention he had been acting rather strangely the past week or so. The contract was really just the final puzzle piece. “My dad, and by chain of command, your boss.”

 

“Oh, shit.” Yeri’s hands are shaking too much to hold the documents up. She lowers them and raises her gaze to look at Joohyun. “So let me get this straight. He hired Seungwan to find and stalk you.”

 

“Well, ‘stalk’ is quite a harsh word,” Joohyun objects.

 

“But it’s basically the same thing. She was researching, stumbled across you, figured out you were ‘the one’, then managed to nail your schedule, likes and dislikes to the tee.” Yeri narrows her eyes. “You can’t tell me she wasn’t stalking you, Joohyun.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“And then,” Yeri continues, “something went wrong, which is why he also had Taek. And once he got a DNA test result which apparently said that he was your dad, he decided to get rid of you? How does that make any sense?”

 

“Not everyone would be happy to know that they have an illegitimate child,” Joy points out. “Especially not the filthy rich.”

 

“Says the filthy rich,” Seulgi quips, amused. But she admits that there certainly is truth to Joy’s words.

 

Yeri frowns in concentration, as if recalling an important memory. “But, Joohyun, it still doesn’t make sense. You told me you didn’t have any parents, that they died some time ago.”

 

Joohyun grimaced. “Exactly. The DNA test was wrong, and another’s mistake cost us our lives.”

 

DNA tests don’t lie, Seulgi thinks, and neither does Joohyun. The document had clearly stated the sample had come from a strand of hair. If it wasn’t Joohyun’s, whose was it?

 

“Hold on. I need to ask Seungwan something,” Seulgi announces before bolting, leaving confused faces in her wake.

 

She dashed down the corridor, skidding in front of Seungwan’s room and pushing the door open, her gaze alighting on the figure sitting in bed with a laptop on a small rollaway table in front of her. “Son Seungwan, I have a question for you. Where did you get the DNA sample from?”

 

DNA sample? Seungwan furrows her brow in concentration. Ah, of course. “I took a stray strand of hair from the counter in Joohyun’s laundromat when she wasn’t looking,” she admits sheepishly. 

 

“And you’re very sure it’s Joohyun’s hair,” Seulgi presses Seungwan.

 

Seungwan shrugs. “Well, yeah. The colour matches Joohyun’s, so…”

 

Seulgi frowns; she feels like she is missing something very obvious. She sends a quick message to Joy, asking her to take a picture of Joohyun. Puzzled but obliging, Joy snaps a quick photo when Joohyun is distracted with taking care of Yeri.

 

Seulgi peers at the photo on her screen. Reddish-brown hair, like the colour of dull copper, she notes.

 

“Yeah, that’s the colour of hair I got, why?” Seungwan asks, confused.

 

Seulgi places two fingers on her phone and makes a swiping gesture, zooming in on the girl in bed behind Joohyun. Bemused, Seungwan stares at the newly enhanced picture until it clicks. Her eyes goggle as she gapes at Seulgi. “Well, shit.”

 

“It wasn’t Joohyun at all, was it?” Seulgi says, her expression dark and grim. “It was Kim Yerim all along.”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Your scent lingers long after we part,  
reminding me that all my dreams are now realities._

_-H.F._

 

“It can't be Yeri,” Seungwan insists, hands gripping her bed-sheets tightly. “I couldn't have made such an elementary mistake.”

 

Seulgi stares at her, eyes fierce. “You could have. Anyone could, for that matter. They've both dyed their hair the same colour, for God’s sake, it was an easy mistake.”

 

“No, you don't understand.” Seungwan’s voice shakes, partly in anger at herself, partly in fear. “This means that Joohyun was put in so much danger because of one stupid mistake. _My_ stupid mistake.”

 

Seulgi rapped the top of Seungwan's head sharply, injury be damned. “Shut up. Are you saying that if you found out that it was Yeri and not Joohyun, you'd be okay? That it would've been better for her to have to face Taek alone? Because let me tell you, Seungwan: if you did, Joohyun would never have forgiven you.”

 

She glares at Seungwan for a few moments more, then sits down on the edge of her bed with a sigh. “Even when you didn’t, Yeri was still in grave danger, and Joohyun probably feels like she’s partly to blame. There’s no winning this game, Seungwan.”

 

Seungwan bites her lip; she knows, somewhere deep within her mind, that Seulgi is right. But even so, she struggles to accept the idea that she has been chasing down the wrong leads this whole time. If only she hadn’t picked up this case, none of this would have happened! No fire, no fight, no… Joohyun.

 

She grips the thin blanket, begging the loud thumps of her heart against her ribcage to be quiet. “I think we should carry out another test. With Yeri’s hair, and with Joohyun’s. Just to make sure,” she added when she meets Seulgi’s steady gaze.

 

“Alright.” If that is what is takes to convince Seungwan that Yeri is, in fact, the one she was looking for, Seulgi is more than willing. All she needs to do know is to ask their permission, that’s all. What could be so hard about that?

 

*

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

Seulgi nearly trembles in her shoes under the intensity of Joohyun’s glare as the two women stand outside Yeri’s hospital room. She had barely managed to finish the sentence before Joohyun shut her down. Undaunted, Seulgi tries again, bracing herself lest Joohyun gets mad. “But we need to confirm this! Then-”

 

“Then what?” Joohyun shouts, attracting the attention of passing nurses. “Then what?” she repeats, quieter, with a voice still sharp and tense. “If it turns out Yeri is actually the girl they’re looking for, she’ll be in even more danger. Isn’t she already injured enough?”

 

Seulgi takes Joohyun’s hand in hers, gentle, pleading. “Please, Joohyun. If we can prove that Yeri is indeed _her_ , then we can maybe lessen the charges on Seungwan, and we can bring Taek - and the one behind all this - to justice. You and Yeri will never be put in harm’s way ever again.”

 

“Seulgi…”

 

“Alright.” The door to Yeri’s room slides open with a quiet grinding sound. Seulgi and Joohyun turn to face Yeri, standing in the gap in her hospital gown, her hand grasping her IV stand for support. “Let’s do it.”

 

Joohyun turns to her with a pained expression, but Yeri stands firm and shakes her head. “Joohyun, I know you’re trying to protect me, but I’m not a child anymore. Trust me for a change. Trust me.”

 

Joohyun balks under her unwavering gaze, and she nods slowly. She twists a loose strand of hair and in one swift motion plucks it out. Yeri does the same, wincing as the act incites a little twinge of pain in her scalp, and holds it out to Seulgi.

 

“Here, Seulgi.” Yeri gives her a tired smile. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

*

 

As they waited for the results to return, Joohyun sat at the edge of Seungwan’s bed, their fingers intertwined under the blanket. Seungwan leans over to tuck a stray lock of copper hair behind Joohyun’s ear; she cups Joohyun’s cheek and smooths over fair skin with a thumb. Her index finger traces furrowed eyebrows, and she gently presses at them to ease the strain.

 

“Frowning will give you wrinkles, you know.” Seungwan pulls Joohyun into a hug, hands rubbing her back in soothing strokes. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay. Seulgi and Joy will do their best to protect the both of you, you know that.”

 

“I know.” Joohyun sighs, her nose buried in Seungwan’s hospital gown. Seungwan smells less and less like herself every day, and it makes her uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, Joohyun is relieved to find hints of fresh bread, chocolate brownies, blueberry muffins buried beneath the antiseptic scent of the hospital. She laughs at herself inwardly; how ridiculous it is to be comforted by such a small, insignificant thing as the smell of a loved one. Then again, Joohyun was never one to easily dismiss the little things in life, and especially not fragrances and scents.

 

And because she is with a woman she loves, and more importantly, a woman she trusts, Joohyun believes it is her turn to be honest with her girlfriend.

 

“Should I tell you a story, Seungwan?”

 

Seungwan pulls back and looks at Joohyun in confusion. “Um, sure?”

 

Joohyun moves so she is sitting in the visitor’s chair instead of on the bed, but her hands never leave Seungwan’s. “There was once a little girl with long black hair,” she starts, “and she had very loving parents. They loved her, but unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance to love her for long. Her father died in an accident when she was two years old, leaving her with a heartbroken mother.

 

That was when the girl started to display asthma-like symptoms, especially in cold weather. Her mother was panicking - after all, it cost a lot for a single mother to take care of her sick child, and they were not left with very much money. At that time, whether by fate or not, a rich man appeared and offered to take care of her child, if only the mother would marry him. The mother, of course, immediately agreed, and in no time got married.

 

True to his word, the new stepfather brought the child to a renowned private hospital to find out the cause of her symptoms. When he found out that she did not, in fact, have asthma, he was no doubt relieved. But relief gave way to interest when he also learnt that she had a certain affliction that made her sensitive to the chemicals in certain scents, as well as greatly improving her sense of smell.

 

It just so happened that the rich man was working for a perfume company, and after leaving the hospital with the girl, he decided to start his own business in the line. He started mixing chemicals and creating fragrance after fragrance, and would encourage his young stepchild to give him feedback about them. He did this so often that it began to greatly affect the girl, and soon every scent became too overwhelming for her to even try and breathe in.

 

But this did not stop him. Maybe it was ambition, or perhaps it was greed, but the stepfather grew angry at the girl. He suggested to punish the girl when she did not comply to his demands, and fuelled by greed herself, the mother agreed. In the end, the girl was locked up in a small bedroom-”

 

Joohyun was cut off by Seungwan pressing their lips together in a desperate kiss. “You don’t have to do this,” Seungwan says as she wipes away the tears that have trickled down Joohyun’s cheeks unnoticed, the latter’s face having turned sheet white.

 

Joohyun shakes her head and continues on doggedly, finishing her story. “One day, the girl heard her stepfather arguing with her mother outside her room. In a fit of rage, her stepfather slammed his fist on the bedroom door before walking off. When the girl was sure no one was outside her room, she tried the door like she did every other day.

 

The door was unlocked. Her stepfather had probably accidentally unlocked the door in his rage, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that the girl was free. She quickly rushed out the door, looking around to make sure she wasn’t noticed. In her haste to leave, she didn’t know where to go; all she knew was that she had to get out of the building as soon as possible.

 

Somehow, after walking a long while, the girl found herself at the doors of a police station. Concerned, the policemen there brought her new clothes and some proper food to eat because she looked so malnourished. They asked her where she lived, who her parents were. She told them her mother’s name without thinking, and two policemen set off to check up on her mother.

 

A call came in soon after from the two policemen that had left. They said to come, they said it was an emergency. The girl hitched a ride to her old house, sitting at the back of a police vehicle, confused. When she arrived at her old home, she understood why the call was so urgent. Her entire house was engulfed in flames.”

 

Seungwan gasps, one hand fluttering to her mouth. “What happened?”

 

“It turned out to be a freak accident,” Joohyun explains with a grim face. “Since my stepfather was mixing his perfumes in the same building, there was always a chance of a flame accidentally coming into contact with the aerosols and flammables. It just so happened that that was the day it happened, that’s all.”

 

“Oh God.” Joohyun lets herself be held by Seungwan again, relaxing in the tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Joohyun. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Whatever for?” Joohyun asks in response, tone light, but it’s obvious to Seungwan that the sound is forced. She understands now why on the night of the fire at the laundromat Joohyun was so shocked and terrified, even more than any other person would be. It was a harsh reminder of what had happened to her parents, and what could have happened to Yeri.

 

And it was all Seungwan’s fault.

 

Seungwan looks up when she hears the quiet rumble of her door sliding open. Seulgi peeks in, tiredness and worry rimming her eyes. “Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

 

Joohyun raises a hand to her eyes, heels away her tears. “No, not at all. Come in.”

 

“Okay.” Seulgi stepped in, closed the door behind her. “We’ve got the results. Joy somehow managed to push it to top priority, so they’ve just completed their tests and evaluations a few minutes ago,” she explains when Seungwan’s brows shoot up in surprise.

 

“And?”

 

“Surprise, surprise.” Seulgi hands them an envelope, its seal already broken. Seungwan fingers the envelope open and pulls the document within it out. She knows where the result is; she’s received the exact same style of report before. Flipping through the pages of test explanation, her eyes come to rest on the very bottom of the final page.

 

The result was expected; so was the guilt washing in tsunami waves in Seungwan’s heart.

 

“Now what?” she asks on a defeated sigh.

 

“Now,” Seulgi’s eyes grow fierce and fiery, “we fight.”

 

*

 

Seulgi finds Joy sitting outside Yeri’s room with her head in her hands, and in that instant it is as if a lance has pierced her heart. She rushes over and crouches down in front of her friend. She pokes Joy’s arm like how one would a bomb, gingerly, unsure. Joy slowly raises her gaze to meet Seulgi’s, and the look in her eyes eerily resemble Seungwan’s.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Joy presses her lips together and shakes her head, a clear refusal to answer. She gets to her feet and makes a move to return to Yeri’s room, but Seulgi takes her hand and stops her where she stands. “I’ll be here for you, Sooyoung, no matter what. So tell me, because we all need someone to lean on.”

 

Joy’s breath hitches audibly seconds before she turns around and wraps Seulgi in a crushing embrace. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what’s right anymore.”

 

“Tell me,” Seulgi says again, simply.

 

“I don’t know what to do about my father,” Joy mumbles, her shoulders slumped. “If we’re really going to fight, to take this to court, my father might - no, he would - be sent to prison, wouldn’t he? I asked the lawyers, they told me so. But how are we going to cope? My mother, me, the entire company - it’ll all go to pieces. Reputation, ruined. No one would trust us.”

 

Seulgi draws back and crosses her arms across her chest. She stares at Joy until the latter slowly raises her gaze to meet Seulgi’s. “Park Sooyoung, are you telling me you want to defend your father - and by extension, Taek, who worked under his command - after what they’ve done to Yeri and Joohyun?”

 

Joy shakes her head again, vehemently. “No, no! It’s not that, it’s just…” she hesitates, because for a few moments, she did in fact want to do so. He had done terrible things, and he isn’t exactly the most supportive of fathers, but he _is_ her father after all. No, that isn’t right, she thinks. It isn’t the right thing to do, to let a criminal go and do as he pleases. Even so.

 

“It’s hard, isn’t it?”

 

Joy nods. “Yeah.”

 

“Honestly, I don’t blame you for wanting to shield your father,” Seulgi admits. “I would too, if he were mine. But he hired to stalk, to kill, and I think that’s really damn well unforgivable.” She pats Joy on the head. “Don’t worry about it. If you don’t want to be involved, it’s alright. I understand. You don’t have to be.”

 

Joy’s lips press firmly together. “But I will be,” she says, a hint of anger in her words. “Because won’t be fair to Joohyun and Yeri otherwise.” She manages a small smile at Seulgi. “Right?”

 

Seulgi beams. “Right.” She leans forward, rises on her toes a little bit, and pecks Joy on the lips. Pulling the taller woman down, Seulgi cradles her head in her hands and presses another kiss to her forehead. “Absolutely right.”

 

*

 

“I found it!” Joy waves a document at Seulgi, a triumphant grin on her face. The older woman looks up from where she is hunched over at a desk and flashes a thumbs-up before returning to her task at hand. It isn’t that easy to hack into someone’s computer, but she isn’t Joy’s PA for nothing. Besides, secretaries and PAs always discuss their bosses’ problems on the down low, and although Seulgi may seem like her mind is off somewhere else, she does in fact pay attention.

 

So when she decided to hack the CEO’s secretary’s computer, it wasn’t _too_ hard. The password, for instance, was obvious: she knows the secretary loves her puppy, so when she types in its name, then its birthday, she wasn’t surprised when the computer unlocked. The menial part of the job is going through all the files stored in the hope that there’ll be some proof of the CEO’s collusion with Taek. She scrolls down, clicks on folders, and scrolls some more.

 

She spots a folder marked as ‘expenses’ and clicks on it.

 

Jackpot.

 

Inside is an Excel spreadsheet with cells detailing money outsourced to different places - one of them being RV Investigations, Wendy’s company. “There’s two different columns, you see,” Seulgi points out, “which means the money’s going to two different people, even though they’re labelled with the same name.”

 

“Hm.” Joy flashes the document she has swiped from her father’s safe. “And there are two contracts here as well, with my father’s signature on both of them.”

 

Seulgi takes the papers from Joy and reads through them. “How did you get these?” she marvels.

 

“My father’s not known to be particularly flexible, he’s been using the same codes for ages, honestly.” Joy shrugs. “No big.”

 

“It’s always a big where family and friends are concerned.” Seulgi closes her hand over Joy’s, squeezes it. “We’ve got the things we need. Let’s go talk to the lawyers, then go back to the hospital to check up on the girls.”

 

*

 

They find Yeri consoling a desolate Joohyun in her room. Joy immediately rushes to Joohyun’s side while asking Yeri worriedly, “What happened?”

 

“Seungwan’s been arrested by the police, officially. She’s been taken away.”

 

Seulgi frowns. The other party is moving faster than she expected, which is never a good thing. She takes out her phone to text the law firm that she and Joy had just come from, and tells them to work faster. Because there isn’t much time left. Seungwan cannot be sent to prison; Taek and the CEO cannot be let off the hook.

 

Because there is absolutely no way in hell that Seulgi would allow any of her friends to suffer any further.

 

It’s time for them - her, Joy, Joohyun, Yeri, their law firm, even the arrested Seungwan - to make their move.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're nearly there, everyone! it's coming to an end, as all things will. but worry not. there's a new story in the works - a Joy/Seulgi fic, not a Wendy/Irene one, although the latter will also feature, just not as the main couple.
> 
> i have a little favour to ask of you, dear readers: if there is anyone here familiar with Murakami's or Ishiguro's writing style and their sort of stories and characters, do drop a comment down below. to say hi, and perhaps, if you're willing, to beta-read my next RV fic? ^^
> 
> once again, thank you all for reading, and for staying patient through my extremely irregular schedule.
> 
> -ashensprites


	16. Chapter Sixteen: The End.

 

 _This is how moths speak to each other. They tell their love across the fields by scent._  
There is no mouth,   
the wrong words are impossible,   
either a mate is there or he is not,   
and if so the pair will find each other in the dark.

_-Barbara Kingsolver_

 

Joohyun stands before a mirror, knotting her tie into a Windsor knot. A long black coat drapes itself over her body, covering the white shirt and formal black trousers she is wearing. She reaches back to tie her hair into a low ponytail. She places one hand on the mirror, watching her mirror self move their opposite limb. Somehow, the person in the mirror looks more stressed out than she is, and she wonders when the dark eye bags had started to set in.

 

“Seungwan…”

 

The clomp of slow, burdened feet resound on the other side of the door. It creaks open, and Yeri pops her head through the gap. “Joohyun, are you done?”

 

“Yeah.” Joohyun breaks her gaze away from the mirror and turns to smile at Yeri. “You?”

 

Yeri shuffles in, a pout on her face as she holds her own tie up. “I didn’t know how to tie it…”

 

Joohyun chuckles. “Because I’ve always been tying them up for you. Come here.” She reaches out, and with a few deft moves has Yeri’s tie knotted as well. She brushes off some dust from Yeri’s shoulder. She lets her hand rest there, just for a little while, trying to find steady ground after an unstable number of weeks.

 

Yeri smiles in understanding. Because she understands, they both stand there, absorbing, trying to understand everything that has happened since the very beginning, long before Joohyun and Seungwan met. With a gentle squeeze of Yeri’s shoulder, Joohyun rights herself.

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“Okay.” Joohyun takes Yeri’s hand in hers and walks out of the room. Joy and Seulgi are already waiting for them in matching suits, both sat on the couch, reading over documents and other assorted papers that the law firm has sent to them.

 

“Seulgi, thank you for letting us stay with you. I honestly don’t know where we’d be or what we’ll be doing now if it wasn’t for the both of you, really.”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Seulgi shakes her head at Joohyun’s thanks as she stands up. “You’re friends, and besides, it’s not like we can just leave you two to stay somewhere random. At times like this, it’s quite dangerous to do that.”

 

“Seulgi, thank you!” Yeri leaps at Seulgi and takes her down with a grateful hug. Rolling over, she grins at Joy and also wraps her in a hug. “You too, big sis. Thanks.”

 

“Big sis.” Joy slowly repeats. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness blooms within her; she holds Yeri for just a beat more, hiding her smile in Yeri’s hair.

 

Rising from the couch, Seulgi shuffles back all the documents laid out on the table back into one thick folder. Joy and Yeri follow her example, and both sisters - _sisters!_ , Joy thinks, still in amazement - take Joohyun’s hands. “Ready?”

 

Joohyun nods. “Seungwan, wait for me. I’m coming.”

 

*

 

_Two days ago…_

 

Jail wasn’t that bad, Seungwan thought to herself for the umpteenth time that day. They let her out everyday for some exercise, and she got regular meals. The wardens were decent, and her cellmate was chatty enough to fill the void she sometimes felt on particularly lonely days.

 

Today’s routine was a carbon copy of yesterday’s, and of the day before: wake up at six, morning exercise and breakfast at seven, lunch at eleven, dinner at five, and lights out by eleven. The hours between meals were work hours, as Seungwan had come to realise when she was first placed in a cell. However, the warden had specifically told her that there was no particular work allocation for her yet as she was relatively new.

 

That meant that Seungwan had to come about new ways of entertaining herself. She wasn’t allowed to go out into the prison yard until four in the evening, and she was really only allowed in certain parts of the prison area, _and_ security supervision was a must. Which was why, on the fifth day of her new prison life, once she discovered the prison library she decided that it was the most comfortable place in the building.

 

That was where the Head Warden of the prison found her on that relaxing autumnal day, perched on a wide window ledge with a book in her lap. “Miss Son,” he called gruffly, “there’s a visitor for you.”

 

Seungwan looked up from her book, intrigued. “A visitor? Who?”

 

“Lawyers, it seems.” The warden fingered the card they gave him in his hand.

 

“Oh, well, okay.” Seungwan closed her book and hopped off the ledge. She handed the book over to the warden and gave him a grin. “You can hold on to it until I come back, right? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

 

The warden shrugged, but continued to carry the book as he escorted his charge to the visitor’s area. Seungwan sat on one side of the glass window, looking around for her unexpected visitor. Then a security guard ushered them in, and her eyes widen.

 

“Joy? Seulgi? And…”

 

The man accompanying her friends bowed. “Hello, Miss Son. I’m your hired lawyer.”

 

Seungwan frowned and turned her gaze to Joy and Seulgi. “Explain.”

 

Joy sat down opposite her. “We will, in good time. You just need to listen, Seungwan, and do exactly as we say.”

 

*

 

Seungwan glances around the empty courtroom nervously. Her hands fidget too much for her handcuffs to be comfortable; she sticks them under the small table attached to the prisoner’s stand and twiddles her thumbs. The only other people in here are two security guards who look tired and bored. One of them looks her way and gives her a little wave, and she smiles back before bowing her head.

 

She looks up again when the main doors to the courtroom swing open. In strides the bane of her existence, the reason why she ended up in prison in the first place: her client, CEO and Chairman Park Joong Won, flanked by his large team of lawyers, all in their sharpest business suits and slicked-back hair. He doesn’t bother to spare her a glance as he passes by the prisoner’s stand. He makes his way to his allocated table and sits down, leaning back and crossing his arms at his chest as his lawyers pull out large files and papers from their bags.

 

The next ten minutes are spent in excruciatingly painful silence.

 

A quiet creak of a door has Seungwan turning her gaze back to the doors. A small woman squeezes her body through the gap, her newly shorn black hair sweeping her shoulders. She grins at Seungwan. “Hey.”

 

“Yeri?” Seungwan mouths, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Jeez, Yerim, not all of us can fit through that tiny gap.” Seungwan’s jaw drops at the sound of the amused voice. Seulgi and Joy stride down the gallery, matching each other pace by pace. The male lawyer Seungwan met days ago joins them, studiously flipping through his documents as he walks a few steps behind them. Joy gives Seungwan a quick nod before turning her head.

 

“Father.”

 

“Sooyoung.” CEO Park gets to his feet. His eyes are level as he stares at his daughter disapprovingly. “I should have known. This is why my colleagues keep telling me to have a son. You useless daughter.”

 

The glare Joy sends him in return is so sharp it could cut steel. “Coming from you, father, it means nothing. Mum would be disappointed in you.”

 

His head snaps up. “Is she coming? Here? Whatever for?”

 

“You can’t keep her in the dark forever, father,” Joy says stiffly. She turns away and takes a deep breath. “And this will hurt me as much, if not more, than it will ever hurt you.”

 

Baffled, Seungwan turns to her friends for an explanation, but all three women stay silent. Pursing her lips, she wonders whether anyone else is going to turn up today. Like, maybe, Joohyun…?

 

She looks around once again, hopeful, but the love of her life is nowhere to be found. She wonders whether Joohyun would want to come today; after all, why would anyone want to attend a hearing involving the very people that cast your life into danger? Still, she stands up, stands on her tiptoes, as if being any taller than she is now would help her find Joohyun.

 

More people start filing in: interested members of the general public, some journalists looking for a scoop, a woman Seungwan recognises as the CEO’s secretary. Seungwan starts to sit down again, but stops halfway.

 

She smells Joohyun before she sees her. Her head whips up and around, like a wolf seeking the scent of its mate, looking for the owner of the vanilla-and-fresh-linen fragrance. A smile blooms across her face unconsciously when she finally lays her eyes on Joohyun. With her long, dark, reddish-brown hair tied back in a high ponytail, it is a sudden reminder of when they first met. Joohyun’s face is somber, her eyes downcast as she glides down the gallery. The court attendees around her turn to look, no doubt - to Seungwan, at least - exclaiming at her chic look as she adjusts her suit jacket.

 

Joohyun blinks and looks around, bemused at the sudden loudness of chatter in the courtroom. Her gaze sweeps over the people in the gallery, over the lawyers and security guards, and stops at Seungwan.

 

“Hey,” Joohyun mouths.

 

“Hey,” Seungwan mouths back.

 

“I’m here.”

 

“I missed you.”

 

At that simple admission, Joohyun gives Seungwan a trembling smile before scuttling over towards Joy’s table. From a side door, the judge enters and slams her gavel thrice on the sound block.

 

It has begun.

 

*

 

Joohyun watches as the lawyers debate, interrogate, and debate again. More often than not she finds her gaze wandering to Seungwan. She wonders how Seungwan has been living, wonders whether Seungwan knows how much she has been missing her. Joy suddenly stands up next to her, startling Joohyun.

 

“The accused, Seungwan, had made a mistake when obtaining the first DNA sample, due to both women having the same shade of hair colour at the time. However, the next time we carried out the tests, we ensured that we had the identities of the owners of the hair samples.” Joy’s lawyer fishes out two envelopes as Joy explains, and hands them over to the judge to look over.

 

“As you can see, the true identity of Kim Yerim is, in fact, Park Mina, the CEO’s estranged daughter. However, at the time of the incident, the defendant was under the false impression that Joohyun was his daughter. Once he had obtained this knowledge, he hired someone to kill her by burning down her house and framing it on the accused.”

 

The CEO springs to his feet. “You dare accuse me of that? You don’t have any evidence!”

 

The judge glares at him. “Sit down, and let her continue.”

 

Seulgi picks up where Joy has left. “The hired killer, a man known to us as Taek, had been stalking Joohyun before the fire. Seungwan, the accused, had warned her of the danger he posed to Joohyun, and Seungwan had no reason to want to put Joohyun’s life in danger.

 

The opposition’s side has some evidence, if I’m not mistaken: a lighter found at Seungwan’s place, with a receipt for two lighters. This may lead to the assumption that Seungwan had set fire to Joohyun’s place and left the other lighter there. However, following the origins of the receipt, it was easy to pinpoint where the lighters were bought.”

 

She turns on a screen and starts to play a video. “This is CCTV footage from the shop where the lighters were purchased. It becomes very clear that Seungwan never entered this shop, and the only person who bought two lighters - one of the two found at her place - was this man, who we believe was hired by the CEO.”

 

The lawyer takes out even more paper from his bag and hands them to the judge. “The documents in your hands show the defendant outsourcing money to a private investigation firm, of which Seungwan, the accused, is part of. And as you can see, there has been two separate payments to two different people from the same company. One of them is Seungwan. The other is the very man who the CEO hired to instigate the incident: Taek.”

 

“That means nothing!” The CEO shouts in a fit of rage, his usually impassive veneer cracked. “That means nothing!”

 

The judge shakes her head and says calmly, “You will want to sit down. The evidence so far is not in your favour.”

 

Joohyun shuts the rest of the debate out. She already knows how it will play out. If what Seulgi and Joy said is right, Seungwan should be able to go free. It was child’s play, the lawyer had said, to dig up Yeri’s past medical history and prove that she, too, had the same condition that Joohyun had, up until a few years ago. Yeri had fallen sick, a serious illness that robbed her of her sense of smell, and that loss had countered her MCS.

 

Sometimes, Joohyun muses, it’s just that simple. And sometimes, she thinks as the debate between lawyers reaches new heights, it’s not.

 

The judge hits the sound block with her gavel again, rousing Joohyun from her daydream. Behind her, the gallery begins to chatter again. Joohyun looks around. “It’s over?”

 

“Yeah, it is.” Joy gets to her feet, looking even more exhausted than before. She sends a grim look towards her father, now surrounded by his team of lawyers as well as a few policemen. “They’ll be arresting him and putting out wanted posters for Taek.”

 

“Sooyoung!”

 

Joy turns around at her name. Her expression collapses at the sight of her mother rushing towards her. “Mum,” she breathes, shrinking as her mother hugs her. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault,” Joy’s mother says firmly. “It’s not. Your father should not have done it. What a cruel thing to do to your own daughter.” She turns to look at Yeri. “And look at you. So young, but so brave. I’m sorry for what my husband did to you. If you don’t mind, would you like to be my daughter?”

 

Yeri grins and shuffles over to join the hug. “I already am.”

 

Joohyun stands back, watching the group hug with a teary eye. She fails to notice a shadow slinking behind her until she smells the acrid stench of smoke, forcing her to double over and cough in an attempt to avoid the smell.

 

“Good hunting, Bae Joohyun,” a deep voice hisses behind her.

 

 _Taek._ Joohyun whirls around and spots the glint of metal. She quickly raises her hands to block herself even as Taek starts to lean towards her. The next thing she hears is an inhuman roar as Seungwan launches herself towards him out of nowhere.

 

Her hands curled into claws, she grapples with him, trying to rip the knife out of his hands. He manages to cut her across her left arm before she grabs his wrist and twists. “How _fucking_ dare you!” she growls, her chest heaving. Security guards rush in, pulling her off Taek. Joohyun surges forward to take Seungwan into her arms.

 

“Seungwan, you’re bleeding.” Joohyun retrieves an immaculate white handkerchief from one of her pockets and starts dabbing at the cut.

 

“I’m alright.” Seungwan stares holes into Taek as he is hauled away by the police, snarling. She turns away to look at Joohyun, and with her good hand strokes Joohyun’s hair as she smiles. “I’m alright.”

 

Joohyun narrows her eyes at Seungwan while she ties her handkerchief around the cut. “You’re bleeding, you dumbass. We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

Seungwan blinks; has Joohyun ever called her dumb before? Perplexed, but amused, she nods. “Okay. Sure.” She moves closer and pulls Joohyun into an embrace. “Let me just hold you for a while.”

 

Her breath hitching, Joohyun burrows her face into Seungwan’s shoulder and breathes in her scent. Brownies, cinnamon, hot chocolate. She clings on to the scent, clings on to her. “Oh, thank God. Seungwan.”

 

The courtroom is loud, noisy, with people bustling in and out. Cameras flash, taking photos for their latest scoop. Lawyers pack their bags, families break up and reunite.

 

And Joohyun has Seungwan again.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for following and supporting this story of mine!
> 
> i promise to come back with better stories in the future :D
> 
> once again, thank you and until next time!


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